The Occult Materia
by The Hylikus
Summary: [Reno x Yuffie][Post AC] A rocky road lies ahead. When Yuffie is injured and Mother is released, Reno becomes suddenly volatile. Will his care for her pull through in the end, or is the relationship doomed, along with the rest of the world? [COMPLETE!]
1. The Train Station

**AN: **My first fic! Hooray! It's mostly kinda action/adventurey with a Reno/Yuffie pairing, set four years after AC (six years after the game), left open-ended for mystery's sake.  
Note: Rating subject to change depending on what I'm feeling the day I'm writing...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any charz, yo.

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* * *

Final Fantasy VII_

**The Occult Materia**

"_Where_ is Reno?"

A frightening, intimidating voice rang through the halls of the W.R.O. building, making everyone stiffen at the deep voice of their leader. "Goddamn it, Rufus, I don't care if he's off in bed with _two_ women! Just _get him to my office!_"

Reeve stomped into his grand workplace, overlooking a ruined city, waking from a long night of restoration and seemingly hopeless efforts to recover what was long lost. For the amount of money spent, it seemed as though things were going much better since the strike of Meteor and Midgar's near-destruction experience. Reeve fell back into the swivel chair behind his hardwood desk, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair. His dark eyes darted left and right across the large room, letting his pupils adjust to the mid-morning sunlight.

After word had reached him of a new, undiscovered type of materia located in a remote part of the globe, Reeve had been dead-set on finding it and researching it, praying to any God in heaven that it wasn't connected to Jenova in any way. The collapsed reactor was located only 500 kilometers west of the Northern Crater, leaving room for enough suspicion to worry him…and the rest of the world, if they were to find out.

Reeve heaved a sigh as the doors were thrown open, and in walked Reno, looking as resentful as ever. He seemed tired, angry, and more under-dressed than usual. He would be sure to change that factor before he was through with him. Reeve ignored the rest for now and got to his feet immediately.

"What now, Reeve…?" Reno asked blearily, his usually bright eyes heavy with post-drunken stupor.

"I have a job for you, Reno," Reeve replied quickly, getting close enough to smell the alcohol in his breath. "I need you ready to leave by tonight. Clean up and pack your things; you're heady by train for Junon."

Reno threw up his hands defensively. "Whoa, whoa, boss! Slow down. What's going on?"

"Surely you've heard of the new materia emerging at the collapsed reactor to the north. I need you to collect a sample for me," Reeve said sternly, more of an order than a request.

"What!" Reno gasped, his head beginning to spin with a rush of thoughts. "Why me? Why not Tseng or Elena? I just fly helicopters, not explore the depths of uncharted islands."

Reeve just shook his head. "Tseng and Elena have refused. I would never force them into a mission after the disaster they endured at the Northern Crater…"

Reno's eyes narrowed and his fists tightened. "Well I refuse too!" he uttered, glaring at his superior with a straight a face as possible. "You seem to forget that I was there too when they were attacked. I had to listen to them over the radio—"

"You're the only one that can do this, Reno. I trust you."

Reno just snarled. "Well I'm touched, yo, I really am…but I've got more important things to do…"

Reeve returned the snarl and grabbed Reno's arm before he had a chance to turn around. "Like getting drunk and banging women? Is that the kind of story you want to tell the children that you aren't even sure are your own?"

Reno's eyes turned sober almost immediately, looking hurt and angry at the same time. Any normal Turk would not be subjective to such a low comment, but it hit home for Reno, and he gave up the mental battle of testosterone.

He shrugged off Reeve's hand and straightened his stance. Before Reno even had a chance to speak, Reeve opened his mouth.

"Good. Your train leaves at 8:00 PM sharp. I'll meet you there with some information and supplies you'll need. Pack light…you'll be traveling by foot for longer than you think…"

* * *

"_Man _this is cool!" 

Yuffie stood at the edge of the newly built train station, her eyes trailing down the long line of red- and gold-painted coaches. She never thought she'd see the day when a _train_ ran _outside_ of Midgar!

She was, of course, referring to the beautiful, high-speed railway that Reeve had been installing all over the Eastern Continent. It spanned to Kalm, Fort Condor, through the mountains to Junon…they were even working on a railway to Mideel (which had been so expertly restored by Reeve and his construction team).

Yuffie was heading from Edge to Junon, then from the Junon airport, she'd booked herself a plane ride all the way back to Wutai. She had gotten a job with Tifa and Cloud at the 7th Heaven bar, working as a waitress and paying for her own apartment in the center of town. Of course, Yuffie is the daughter of the king of Wutai! What was she doing in a dumpy apartment at the heart of Edge?

She had been living on her own for five years now, pushing six. After the second confrontation with Sephiroth, Yuffie felt the need to be on her own for a while, to prove that she didn't need Godo and his lavish blessings, that she could make her own life, all by herself.

So why the hell is she going back? Well, truth be told, Yuffie missed her father and the people of Wutai. She hadn't heard from them in several years, and Yuffie often wondered of Wutai's current condition. She was also heading overseas to bring her stash of materia back to her deprived hometown, even though it wasn't a whole lot.

"_First call for platforms six and seven. Repeat, first call for boarding platforms six and seven to Junon."_

Yuffie picked up her bags quickly, busting with excitement for her first train ride. Sliding into line along with the other passengers, Yuffie wandered the cars searching for her seat (having to ask and attendant where exactly it was). After settling into the window side of the two seats, Yuffie tucked her small bags under the seat in front of her.

She contemplated calling Cloud and Tifa to bade them and the children one last farewell… No matter how much she missed Wutai, Yuffie knew she would always have a home in Edge as well.

Several minutes passed in which Yuffie fidgeted and squirmed, excited, as well as restless, for the train ride to begin.

"_Last call for passengers boarding platforms six and seven. Repeat, last call for six and seven to Junon."_

Yuffie could feel the vibrations of the engine starting, hearing the last of the passengers scuttling in before the train left the station. Several voices were heard, but one in particular, only a few seats back, stood out above the rest…

"Remember, you're taking the helicopter Northwest from Junon; the island is exactly 495 kilometers west of the Northern Crater; The materia is—"

"I know where the super-secret materia is!" a voice interrupted, making Yuffie's brow knit. "Now hurry up and get off the damn train before I'm stuck with you for the whole ride."

The voice sounded so familiar, but Yuffie couldn't put her finger on it… It was harsh, yet clever, with a hint of intelligence and a side of pride. The only thing that came to mind was…

"Excuse me, sir…but I believe you're in my seat."

There was a long pause and a rustle of paper, followed by a grunted apology and the clunking of boots on the ground. They were nearing her seat, causing her to look out the window innocently as the man sat down.

"Well," said that harsh, clever, intelligent, proud voice, "look who it is…"

Yuffie squeaked, jumped, and pressed herself up against the side of the window all in one motion. "Reno!" she gasped, her lilac eyes wide with a mixture of shock, disgust, and confusion.

"Surprised to see me?" Reno asked, one of his thin eyebrows lifting with amusement as a smile tugged at his lips.

Yuffie stammered for a moment, her eyes still wide and her mouth slightly agape. "Just a little bit," she finally responded, regaining her cool composure. "I mean, what's a Turkey helicopter pilot like you doin' riding a _train _to Junon?"

Reno just narrowed his eyes in that Turkish way, a brow still lifted as she dissed him. "She's parked in Junon," Reno explained. "Shin-Ra's too lazy to fly her out to me."

Yuffie held in a giggle as he referred to his helicopter as a "she." She guessed it was a pilot's thing. Cid always called the Sierra "she," but it was named after Shera anyway, so Yuffie never bothered to ask questions.

As she thought of this, Yuffie recalled what Reno had just been talking about… A 'super-secret materia' located somewhere near the Northern Crater? Sounded like a gold mine to Yuffie. If she could pry enough information out of Reno, find that materia and bring it back to Wutai, she could very well bring her hometown back to its former glory…Yuffie hadn't stolen any materia in a while (although she did 'collect' it from time to time), and it seemed as though she was yearning to try it again. All she had to do was convince Reno to bring her along…

She was sure that it would be hard, but Yuffie had her was of getting inside people's heads, and this skill was only sharpened as she grew into the beautiful woman that she was (how else do you think she got the job at 7th Heaven?).

Yuffie was still very petite at age 22, but she had filled out nicely, gaining average curves and maintaining her slim body. She dressed in form-fitting clothes and had grown her hair out to shoulder-length, although her dark strands were usually pulled or swept out of her face by various clips, ties or bandanas. She wondered how Reno had recalled her face so quickly after the change in her appearance over these past six years.

Reno, however, had not changed one bit. He still wore his normal, slackly navy uniform, although it seemed as though Rufus and Reeve had finally gotten him to wear a tie (no matter how tattered and loose it was), and also a new undershirt (still unbuttoned casually). His pilot's goggles had been exchanged for a pair of blue reflector aviators, his messy, blood-red bangs spilling over the brim of the glasses. His tail had gotten a bit longer since their last meeting, now reaching past his lower back, just hovering above the seat when he leaned forward. The scars under his eyes seemed darker than the last time she'd seen him this close… Well, truth be told, she'd never really been this close to Reno before. The most prominent memory she had of the redhead Turk was the upside-down image of him while she hung at the disposal of Don Corneo on Da-Chao Mountain. She never got to say thank you to Reno had his partner Rude…and although she never did admit it, without them, she probably wouldn't be alive right now.

As the train lurched forward, Yuffie awoke from her trance, turning to see Reno, still looking at her all sly-like and impish.

"So," she said at last, "what brings _you_ to Junon?"

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**AN: **Please review this! I've published my works on several other sites, and I always end up with zippo for reivews...whether it's just because my writing is horrible, or it's just being overlooked, I'd like to know how I'm doing! Thanks. 


	2. Motion Sickness

**AN: **Please review some more… I could really use the support for this fic! I have so many ideas and so little feedback… Regardless, enjoy the chapter…next one in the works as well.

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What were the chances that he would be seated next to…_her?_ Reno was dazed for a moment before he sat down, remembering her immediately as the young girl he had helped rescue in Wutai six years back. Yuffie Kisaragi; daughter of Godo Kisaragi; heir to the throne of Wutai…and to think, he had saved her very life and got almost nothing in return. Of course, in the two years after Sephiroth was first suppressed, Reno had often visited Wutai to stop by the Turtle's Paradise, but he'd only seen Yuffie working there on rare occasions. She always seemed to be avoiding him; whenever he looked her way, she'd stiffen and turn in the opposite direction. Reno didn't recall her ever serving him there either… Whether she ignored him out of spite, or some other obscure reason, he didn't know. But she seemed pretty personable now. And just as malevolent as she had been at the tender age of sixteen, when she unashamedly refused to speak with him after the events at Da-Chao Mountain.

As Yuffie pondered what to say, Reno couldn't help but let his eyes roam over her. She had changed quite a bit over the past few years, although she still maintained the same appearance that he remembered so clearly, and it was not hard to identify her, even behind the long hair she now boasted. Her bangs were thick and were angled across her forehead, making her oval face seem very slender and feminine. A bandana held back the longer strands, which spilled out the back end over her shoulders like a black waterfall. Even though he knew it was wrong, Reno admitted to himself that she looked pretty hot in the outfit she wore: a wide-necked jean jacket that had been cut off at mid-torso, buttoned in the middle, accentuating her petite bust line. She had also cut off one sleeve, leaving her gauntlet sleeve on. The tank top she wore underneath cut off just above her navel, hugging her curves closely, although not to the point where she seemed desperate for male attention. A matching jean skirt covered her bottom half, drawn up at one side so it showed a good portion of her milky legs, while tall string-up boots covered her calves, her knee-high fishnets stopping a few inches above the boots.

As the train finally started up, Yuffie turned her attention back to Reno, finding the mischievous smile on his thin lips disturbing at first, although it almost seemed attractive after a while. She would never admit that, but nothing could stop her from thinking it.

"Business," Reno replied to her question, the smile fading from his face.

Yuffie's smile replaced his. "What kind of business?" she inquired, the slyness very apparent in her voice.

"Shin-Ra business," was Reno's immediate reply.

"Does it have anything to do with…super-secret materia? Located approximately…500 kilometers from the Northern Crater? Mm?"

Reno's brow knit suddenly, frowning with his eyes as his face remained stoic. "How did you…?" he began, but trailed off, realizing almost immediately how she'd acquired the knowledge.

Yuffie just chuckled dryly. "Relax, Reno," she told him casually, becoming more accustomed to his name on her lips. "Your secret's safe with me."

"You had better not follow me there," Reno spat, his lip twitching a bit. "I know all about your little materia-stealing schemes."

Yuffie put on a fake hurt face. "I haven't stolen anything in years," she half-lied, looking at him with a frown on her pretty face. "And besides…I'm headed farther west. Back to Wutai."

"Good," Reno said quickly, crossing his arms. "Because I don't have room for you and your crap in the 'copter anyway."

Yuffie was actually a little hurt by this added comment. "I wouldn't ride in that death trap anyway!" she shot back, turning to face out the window, watching the darkness fly by. Silence ensued for many moments, and it was hard for Yuffie not to notice the churning feeling that was growing in the pit of her stomach. It only worsened with the awkward silence. Patting her warm forehead, Yuffie tried to look tough in front of Reno, all while still keeping her eyes in the other direction…but every time she looked out the window, Yuffie felt as though she were going to puke.

"You look a little green," Reno said in a low, annoyed voice. Breathing heavily, Yuffie finally turned to look at him, working her hands in and out of fists on her skirt.

"Move it!" she finally gasped, pushing past Reno and tripping out into the aisle. She dashed for the bathroom, shoving people out of the way as she did so. Upon reaching the bathroom, Yuffie burst in and slammed the door shut, leaning over the toilet to vomit. But before she could even lift the cover, she slipped in some soapy water, sending her flying backward with flailing arms, yelping very loudly. She hit her head on the sink behind, sending her into a world of pitch darkness and swirling stars.

* * *

"Ugh…" Yuffie's voice gurgled as she awoke to a stabbing pain in her head and neck, barely finding enough strength to open her eyes. She felt the side of her head cushioned by a soft fabric and a chilly sensation on her neck, as well as a warm arm around her shoulder, holding her closer to a warmer body. As the focus returned to her eyes and she saw bright red, Yuffie immediately jerked backward, yelping again in both pain and surprise. She cupped the back of her neck as she stared at the bewildered Reno, holding the pillow he had leant her on. "Ugh!" she repeated, with disgust this time. "What were do you think you're doing? Who told you that you could put your arm around me!"

Reno snarled and narrowed his eyes with despise. "Well I could have just left you there, gurgling in your own spit!" he hissed, trying to keep their argument as quiet as possible.

"I woulda rather let the paramedics drag me off this fricken' train…" she mumbled, snatching the ice he'd been holding to her neck. She pressed it to the back of her head, feeling the large lump forming there.

"I wasn't about to let them stop the train so _you_ could get off. _I_ have a job to do," Reno retorted, tossing the pillow at her. "You're fuckin' lucky you didn't break your neck…"

"Sometimes I wonder why I don't break my own neck," Yuffie thought aloud, reclining back in her seat to nurse her wounds and broken pride.

'_How embarrassing…' _she thought to herself, shooting a glance at the redhead sitting next to her. _'Now he'll go tell all his Turkey friends what a klutz that pretty ninja girl is…'_

Just then, Yuffie caught the drink cart rolling toward their seat out of the corner of her eye. Reno, one leg crossed over his lap, sighed to himself. Liquor was just what he needed then.

"Hello, sir and madam," said the out-of-towner stewardess. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

Reno thought for a moment, scratching his chin. "You got any Scotch?" he asked at last.

"You're in luck," the stewardess replied, "we're on our last bottle. Mr. Tuesti has requested we stop serving hard liquor on the trains…"

"I'll take a shot of that…and water on the rocks for the lady," Reno said with a mental roll of his eyes at Reeve.

"Make it a double on the Scotch," came Yuffie's angry voice, smirking at the stewardess. "Forget the water."

Reno seemed a little surprised, raising his eyebrow in that curious way he did. "You sure about that Princess?" he asked, tilting his head with amusement at the injured woman. "That's some hard stuff yer ordering."

Yuffie just gave him a very cold glare. "Yes, I'm sure. Jus' give me the drink before I get sick again…"

The stewardess poured the two shots hurriedly, handing one to Reno and one to Yuffie, packing the drink away before continuing her rounds. Yuffie lifted the glass to her lips and tipped her head back, letting the stinging liquid slide down her throat, letting out a hissed sigh before slamming the cup down on her armrest. Wiping her upper lip, Yuffie opened one eye to watch Reno take his shot, a little more easily than she had.

With a shot of liquor in her stomach, and a throbbing pain in her head, Yuffie leaned herself back in her seat, propping her head up on a the pillow Reno had gotten for her, closing the shade on the window as she rolled onto her side, muttering incoherently to herself.

"_Attention all passengers: Edge Railway will be arriving in Junon in approximately five minutes. Please ready your things for drop-off."_

Yuffie rolled back over to face the Turk beside her. "Reno…?" she asked, getting his attention. "How long was I out?"

He just smirked looked at his watch. "Must have been almost three hours…" he replied, a playful glint in his Mako-infused eyes.

Yuffie felt a warmth fill her cheeks as she realized just how long she had been in Reno's grasp, and just how much time was wasted while she could have been convincing him to bring her along. How was she going to manage it now? It seemed almost impossible…

Unless…

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**AN: **Next chapter: drinking games and some tongue action! Keep reading; the story itself will progress much more in the next few chaps. I promise! PLEASE REVIEW! I beg yah! 


	3. With Tongue

**AN:** Whew! Finally got the next chapter. I tried to shorten it as much as possible, but it's still got the important parts in it. Beware! First sparks of romance at the ending!

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_"Attention all passengers: Edge Railway has reached its destination of Junon City. Please prepare for unloading."_

Reno stood abruptly as soon as the train came to a stop, slinging his small—and apparently his only—bag over his shoulder. Yuffie struggled to pull her two bags out from beneath the seat in front of her, all the while keeping her eye on Reno as he sauntered away. She pushed past the people in the aisle, just able to see a glimpse of his fiery locks above the crowd as they hurriedly poured out into Junon.

The station had become almost one with Junon itself, linking to several large elevators that led to the "upper world," while still keeping the simple, country-style feeling of Lower Junon.

Halfway through the station on the way to the elevators, Yuffie lost her sight of Reno, cursing to herself as she looked around. Giving up, she shuffled over to the inn reservations check in. She slipped quietly up to an open counter, letting down her bags as the attendant smiled at her. Yuffie stated her first and last name, tapping on the counter as she looked around for that elusive Turk.

"Umm…" Yuffie heard the woman's uneasy voice. She wheeled toward her, eyebrow raised. "I'm very sorry Miss Kisaragi…but it appears we overbooked and your room is already occupied…"

A groan came from deep within Yuffie's dropping stomach. "You've got to be kidding me…" she whined. "Don't you have any other rooms available?"

The attendant quickly typed something into her computer. "All we have is a bottom floor room; it's third class, but for your case we can cut the price in half."

Another groan came as Yuffie leant over the counter. She didn't even want to know what that room looked like.

"Key to number 7," came a familiar voice."

"Name please?"

"Reno Bellanger."

Yuffie spun, her eyes lighting up with surprise and relief. Reno took the key that was handed to him, turning to leave in the other direction, as if he were purposely ignoring her. Yuffie scooped up her bags and hurried off toward that trailing red tail.

"Miss, do you want the room?"

Yuffie ignored the woman and trotted up beside Reno, calling "Hey, Turkey!" She caught him rolling his eyes and resisted the urge to punch him in the nuts.

"What do you want, kid?" he asked, not making eye contact as he strode leisurely toward the elevator.

She fought hard not to blow up at him for calling her a kid, but she knew if she did, she'd be forced to take a third class hotel room over the nice apartment that Reno owned. "So…" she sighed, "your last name's Bellanger? I never—"

"Get to the point," Reno blurted, pressing the up arrow next to the elevator.

"Um… You have your own place here, right?" Reno's expression remained stoic as he nodded a yes. "Well, um…"

_'Just spit it out, Yuffie! It's not like you're asking Tifa for a raise…'_

"Well, my hotel overbooked me, and…" Yuffie twisted her hands around as she spoke. "Well, do you have any extra room in your apartment? I really don't wanna—"

"No," Reno's reply was harsh and clear. "Just no. You violated my personal space enough on the train. I'm not gonna let _you_ sleep in _my _apartment, just to wake up and find that my materia is all gone."

Yuffie frowned as he accused her again. "I don't steal materia anymore!" she gasped, trying to sound as desperate as possible.

"Sorry Princess. I have company in my apartment," Reno told her, making Yuffie even more confused. "Besides…I won't be in my room for most of the night anyway. Bars here are just too good to pass up."

The elevator door slid open and Reno stepped in, along with a few others heading to Upper Junon. She finally gave up and blurted a last plea. "I'll pay for drinks," she begged as the door began to slide closed.

At the sight of a hand shooting out and the door opening once more, Yuffie gave a sigh, which turned to a yelp as Reno grabbed her wrist and jerked her in, his eyes showing thanks while his face showed reluctance.

* * *

Reno wasted no time getting to the bar and ordering himself a dark beer to start off, Yuffie following suit to whatever he ordered, not wanting to tip back anything too hard just yet. She spent most of her time contemplating just how to get a strong guy like Reno drunk before she, herself, became intoxicated.

While she sipped her beer, Yuffie glanced around the room, trying not to seem too concentrated on one thing. Reno could obviously hold his liquor well, as she had often observed while working at the Turtle's Paradise. _'Think, Yuffie…Think! What can get him drunk and not you…?'_

Just then, Yuffie caught sight of a lonely pool table resting in the corner of the bar, alone and unused. _'That's it…' _she thought with an evil smirk. _'Drinking games.'_

Yuffie took a large, fake swig of her beer, pushing it away as if she were done. She grinned as Reno did the same. "Say…" she began, leaning backward on the edge of the bar. "How about a drinking game to pass the time? I know the perfect one…"

Reno raised an eyebrow in thought. "Oh yeah? It's not wise to challenged Reno Bellanger to a drinking game. It's been four years since I lost to someone."

"Really…?" Yuffie giggled, trying to put him under her spell early. "You like pool?"

Reno didn't immediately respond to her charm, but he did offer back a similar smile soon after. "What guy doesn't?" he replied, glancing at the pool table behind him.

"Stripes and Solids it is," Yuffie concluded, sliding off the stool she sat on. "You do know how to play, hmm?"

Reno followed her to the table after ordering another round of hard beers on her tab. "Refresh my memory. I don't visit billiards often."

Yuffie took out the set of balls and began setting them up in the correct format. "Stripes on the outside, solids clustered above the dot…" she told him, looking up every once in a while. "It's like eight ball, only you got to swig the number on the stripe ball you sink, and give out swigs if you sink a solid. If you scratch, you've got to finish the drink. The game's over after all the solids are gone and the eight is in a pocket."

Reno smirked as she finished the overview, grabbing two the sticks from the wall, as well as a cube of chalk to smother the tips in it. He tossed Yuffie one after chalking it, then set the cube on the edge of the table. "Ladies first," he said daringly, praying on the inside that she didn't have a good break.

Yuffie just shrugged, not protesting as well as trying not to seem too eager to win. _'Keep it natural, Yuffie. Just relax.'_

"Let's add a twist to this…" he suggested before she could take her shot. "If you win, you get to sleep in my bed and I'll take the floor. But if _I _win…" Yuffie didn't like the way he said that. "You gotta give me a kiss," at least it wasn't something life-threatening, "with tongue."

Yuffie was repulsed for a moment, but seeing the playful look in his eyes made her relax. It's not like she planned on losing anyway…she would just have to step up her game if she wanted to avoid a lip-lock with the one she was trying to screw over.

"Fine," she agreed, keeping her cool exterior, "but I hope you like the floor, because I don't plan on losing."

Reno just smirked and rolled her the cue ball, which she expertly set up, leaning over the table to take the shot. With a smooth flick of her wrist, she broke the cluster and sent solids flying in every direction. The four slid into the corner pocket, as well as the two in the side pocket. "That's six swigs," she declared, smirking at Reno. "And no pussy sips!"

Reno just nodded his head, lifting the bottle to his lips before letting in six hefty swigs of dark beer. He placed the drink down and wiped his upper lip, waiting for her to take another shot. Yuffie aimed for the six ball for another large lead over him, but she failed and almost scratched. Grinning at the perfect shot she set up for him, Reno easily pocketed the six and waited for her to swig. She did so obediently, quickly settling up as he took his next shot. Reno failed at his aim for the seven ball, and respectively sunk the eleven ball instead. Groaning, he took the corresponding sips, and refilled his order, waiting for Yuffie to line up. She had a good shot at the five ball, but it was blocked by the nine and was too close to jump. She gently tapped the cue and watched the chain reaction, praying as the five slid into the hole. She would have begun to rejoice, until she heard the nine slide in after. She swigged up as Reno ordered her a refill, and took aim for the only un-obscured solid, the three. Her shot was unsuccessful, but it almost impossible. Reno finished her shot on the three, but sunk nothing on his second turn, leaving with no open shots after she had taken her three swigs. She gave a futile swing to the seven ball, but only succeeded in sinking the fourteen. With another whine of complain, she tipped back fourteen swigs and finished her drink all in one.

Yuffie retreated to the bar to re-fill her beer, keeping an eye on Reno as he lined up for the seven. He overshot and sent the seven in, at the price of a scratch. _"Fuck!"_ he cried, slapping his forehead while Yuffie laughed. "Better make that beer a double," she told the bartender before returning. Reno finished his current beer (which was rather full) and lined up with the only solid left, the one. He sunk it, and lined up for the eight ball. The shot was pretty much impossible. Along with being blocked by two of the three stripes left on the table, it was also not lined up with any hole and the only one that seemed to be possible would come at the price of a stripe in the hole instead of the eight. From where the cue was, Reno tried desperately to jump the two stripes and at least move the eight, but it only resulted in the fifteen rolling slowly over to the side pocket. He groaned in defeat as Yuffie lined her clear shot to the corner pocket, overstriking it just for fun, and to hear the lovely sound of the eight ball colliding with the other balls in the pocket. Twirling as she always did with every victory, Yuffie watched as Reno simply finished the beer without even having to. "I win!" she teased, picking up the sticks and clearing the table. "I get the bed!" Her laughter was overly stressed, making Reno slump back to the bar and order a shot. _'Perfect,' _was Yuffie's only thought.

However, if she would have any chance of finishing her plan, she'd also have to get on his good side. That meant no more teasing and possibly even giving up the bed. With a sigh, Yuffie climbed up to the bar and sipped quietly on the rest of her beer, looking over as Reno downed a painful shot of some weird concoction. Wincing to herself, Yuffie finally came to the conclusion of what she had to do. Sliding her beer across the table, Yuffie turned Reno's head toward her with one hand, diving in for the kiss she had promised if she lost. With tongue.

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**AN: **HAHAHA! No kiss for you! Review more and I will elaborate…BUT NOT TILL I GET FEEDBACK, yah hear? I hope you're enjoying! Next chapter will be fluffy…but not in the way you think! Plot development also promised. 


	4. No Honor

**AN: **Thanks so much for the positive reviews, guys! It means a lot to me that you like my writing. I'm doin' it for you, so keep supporting and I'll keep writing. Onto the next chapter!

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"_Kittens!" _Yuffie squealed, trying to act as drunk as possible as she stumbled into Reno's apartment, hanging off his arm with one hand wrapped around his shoulder, both with beer bottles in hand. "Since when did you have kittens?" 

Reno, obviously inebriated to his fullest after five more shots succeeding the kiss she'd given him, just gave a shrug in reply. "Picked up a s…s…stray in Midgar…" he chuckled, stumbling into the room onto the floor with the eight cats that raced to meet him. "Turns out she got knocked up…" Yuffie stifled a laugh at his choice of words. "One, two, three, four…eight…" Reno counted the cats as Yuffie faked a fall onto the floor beside him.

"There so CUTE!" she squeaked, faking the best drunk voice she could. She pet random kittens,

"Too many pussies," Reno snickered, falling onto his back with a sigh and a hiccup.

Yuffie figured this was her chance to strike. She put aside all her doubts and straddled him (however unwillingly), leaning in close enough to smell the strong scent of tequila on his breath. "You can never have…to many a those…" she quipped, her charm slurred with a phony drunk accent.

The last thing Reno heard was the drop of his beer bottle and the sound of kittens purring to him as Yuffie kissed him one last time.

With tongue, of course.

* * *

"Shit! Where is it…?" Yuffie hissed curses repeatedly as she tore through Reno's apartment without mercy. Surely, a pilot had to have some sort of map…some sort of coordinates, codes…anything that contained information on the whereabouts of their destination. She doubted that a man such as Reno took the time to memorize these things and had taken a big risk in betting on that assumption. But there was no turning back now. Do or die, Yuffie. 

Papers flew in every direction as she searched from wall to wall; on his desk, in his bags, drawers, dressers, under the bed, carpets, tables… _'Think, Yuffie…'_ she calmed herself. _'If you were Reno, where would you put it…?'_

Here eyes wandered to the man she had dragged onto the couch after he passed out in a drunken haze. He looked pretty helpless sitting there, arm hanging off the side of the futon, mouth agape and hair disheveled. Yuffie knew she was to blame for putting him in that miserable state, but she was a ninja! It was her job to humiliate everyone and everything.

Just then, it hit her. She tiptoed over to where Reno lay, patting his navy coat very lightly, as not to wake him, listening closely for any crunch of paper. Yuffie put on a revolted face as she reached his lower half, running her hand down the outside of his leg until she heard the sound she was listening for. Half-disgustedly, she reached into his pocket, gripping a folded piece of paper between her thumb and forefinger. Keeping her eyes on his face for any sign of him waking, she slowly, gradually retracted her hand from the depths of his pocket, quickly opening and scanning over sheet in her hand.

There was a lot of information on the paper, including coordinates, background information on the materia itself, names of people on the island, and contact information. Yuffie gasped and nearly dropped the paper as she felt something brush against her leg, glancing down to see a small, gray kitten rubbing its back on her leg. "Jeeze kitty…" Yuffie whispered, sitting down next to the cat, stroking its face lovingly. "Don't scare me while I'm trying to memorize."

* * *

Reno awoke with a stabbing pain in his head, groaning with the first symptoms of a full-on hangover. He rolled over, landing on the floor with a dull thud, his world spinning for many moments. Several kittens trotted over to curl up next to him, but all he wanted to do was sleep. "Ugh…" he moaned. "What the hell happened last night?" 

Gathering up some strength, Reno recalled a vague sequence of events starting from when he entered the bar to when he passed out on the floor with all the cats. Yuffie had proposed a drinking game, which he had so miserably lost, resulting in a mopey amount of shots, and a really hazy time where all he remembered was being locked in a French kiss until he passed out. Damn, she was a good kisser. He had been under her spell from the minute her lips touched his… Not a bad night…but a bad hangover equaled it all out.

His mind kicked him awake as soon as he realized Yuffie had not been where she was when he passed out. Rolling onto his back, Reno pushed himself up as far as he could using the couch for support, glancing around the room for any signs of her through his hangover fuzz. He spotted a mesh of her gray ensemble and black hair standing in his bedroom doorway.

"Sleep well?" she asked when his vision finally came into full focus. She was leaning on his doorsill, a smirk on her pink lips. Reno noticed that she was fully dressed now: an eight-slot armlet covered her left arm, and her hair had been pulled back by a bandana that grazed over the tops of her eyebrows. A studded belt hung off her hips, decorated with several throwing stars and origami. He caught a glimpse of a dagger tucked into her fishnets, as well as a glinting shruiken held in her right hand, obscured by part of her body.

"I've had better," Reno replied, slowly getting to his wobbly feet. "Why you all dressed up? You don't think they're gonna let you on the plane like that, do you?"

Yuffie's smirk just grew. "I'm not getting on any plane," she said matter-of-factly.

"Well then how the hell are you getting to Wu—"

"I'm not going to Wutai."

Reno's eyebrow cocked straight upward immediately. "What are you getting at…?" he asked hesitantly, confused and nervous all at once.

"You're going to bring me along to the Collapsed Reactor," Yuffie replied, kicking herself off the doorsill.

"HAH!" Reno chuckled, although his head hurt when he did so. "You're kidding, right? Didn't I already go over this with you? I'm not going to bring you along just so you can walk away with the materia and end the fucking world with it."

"Well," Yuffie began, "I'll admit, the Occult Materia was my initial objective, but what I've learned from Reeve's report has changed my mind…I don't want the materia that you're after. But I do want all that free materia screaming to be used at the bottom of the collapsed reactor."

Reno patted his side pocket. He reached inside. Nothing. "You thief!" he accused, pointing a finger at her. "Give me back the report!"

"I don't have it," Yuffie said with a shrug, moving closer to the huffing Reno. "Check the trash can if you want the ashes of what's left."

Reno pushed by her and opened the lid of his wastebasket, cursing repeatedly upon seeing the ashes in the bottom. Yuffie pulled Reno's lighter from her pocket and handed it over. "It seems like your only weakness is drinking," she said sincerely, a bit of sympathy in her eyes. "It's something you should really work on, Reno."

"Now how the hell am I supposed to get there without the fucking coordinates!" Reno shouted, his fists working in and out to control his growing anger.

"Relax," Yuffie said, tapping a finger to her head. "It's all up here."

"I don't trust you. Not for a fucking second."

"Likewise." Yuffie just reached over and pet the mewing kitten on the counter behind Reno. "I haven't stolen your materia yet, have I?" she pointed, out, grabbing his nightstick from behind the cat, all its materia still intact. He snatched it back and examined it closely. "All you have to do is bring me along to the collapsed reactor, and drop me off in Costa del Sol on the way back. I'll be out of your way from then on. Ninja's honor."

"There is no honor in being a ninja," Reno spat.

"There is no honor in being a Turk," Yuffie shot right back. "Don't we make a good team?"

* * *

**AN: **Haha! That's my girl, Yuffie! Ninja pride, yo. And she seems to be staying pretty clean so far…shall this anti-kleptomania continue? Review and read on (or Reno's kitties will mew you to death)! 


	5. Good Point

**AN: **Phew! Thanks again for all the reviews guys. That last chapter was a little sketchy, but I didn't have a lot of time to get it done. I'll probably edit and update it sometime, so keep an eye out for that. But forget that, you have a chapter to read!

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* * *

"I need a favor from you…" Reno said, stopping in his tracks as they made their way down the streets of Upper Junon. 

"Me? A favor?" Yuffie scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "I don't do favors."

"I just need you to buy me something," came Reno's snappy reply. "I'll even give you the money."

"Why can't you do it?" Yuffie sassed. "You actually trust me with your money?"

Reno just rolled his eyes. "It's not like you can slip out the back way with these stores. There is no back."

She would have said 'good point,' but Yuffie didn't think he deserved the satisfaction.

"I'm not allowed in the store," Reno explained. "I got in a fight with the manager and he's got some restraining order on me…"

"Must have been some fight," Yuffie whispered, more to herself than Reno.

He took out his wallet and began counting out gil, but he stopped after a bit and just handed her the whole wallet, as well as a slip of paper with several brands of alcohol on it.

"That makes sense," Yuffie chuckled, taking the wallet and paper. She began to turn toward the store, but she stopped and pointed a finger at him. "How do I know you won't up and leave me here?"

Reno's brow straightened out. "Lets see," he began with a sarcastic hint on his sharp voice. "You have a wallet full of the only gil I have, my flying permit, and my Shin-Ra ID. Where the hell am I going to go? I'll be right outside the store, it's not like you won't be able to see me if I go anywhere."

Yuffie felt another 'good point' coming on, but she said nothing and just turned on her heel, heading for the liquor store. A few bells rang as she entered, looking around at the wide variety of alcohols available to her. Glancing at the list, she wandered around and picked up what was needed, occasionally shooting her eyes toward the front of the store to see if Reno was still there. He was, of course, but Yuffie was just that way. She needed to feel that sense of security.

After picking out all the liquor written on the card, as well as a bottle of Wutaian Vodka she spotted in the corner for herself, Yuffie headed to the counter to get in line, which was surprisingly long for this time of day. She felt the presence of another person slipping up behind her, causing her to shift her weight and stand straighter out of instinct.

"By the looks of all that liquor, you'd think you're goin' to some remote part o' the world," said the man behind her. Yuffie spun, raising an eyebrow at the man. He was a crusty old fellow, squinting one eye while one beady black one peered from beneath a bushy white brow. He looked little like an old pirate to Yuffie, but she kept that to herself.

"I am," she said, without even thinking. "Up north. There's never any good liquor out there."

"That's true," he said with a grin and a dry, cracking laugh. Yuffie stepped backward as the line moved up. "You wouldn't, by any chance…" he began, his one beady eye looking her up and down creepily, "…be heading toward the Collapsed Reactor up there, west o' Icicle Inn?"

Yuffie stepped back again, her eyes going a little wide. How had a scrubby man like him come in possession of that information? "I…uh…maybe," Yuffie stammered. "I heard there's some great materia there… How did you know about that place?"

"S'been all over the news," the pirate-man replied. "Anyway, I heard its dangerous up there, it'd be wise to stay away from it."

Yuffie let out a nervous chuckle as the line whittled down to her. "Thanks anyway," she told him. "I'll keep that in mind." The pirate man grinned and laughed his crackly laugh again as she turned to pay. She hurriedly grabbed her things after the transaction was finished, scuttling by the man as he continued to laugh.

"I'd hate to say I told you so, sweetie…jus' remember that."

Yuffie broke into a jog after she passed the man, bursting out into the street next to Reno, her eyes still wide with disturbance.

"What's your problem?" Reno asked as he snatched the cigarettes she bought and spit out the one in his mouth. He opened the pack and bumped one out into his hand, lighting it up before taking a long drag and waiting for a reply to his question.

Yuffie took a deep breath and let her wide eyes shift back and forth for a moment. "There was this _really_ creepy guy in there…" she whispered, looking Reno straight in the eye as she handed him the rest of the groceries. "He kept laughing and telling me how the Collapsed Reactor was dangerous and that he'd hate to be the one to say I told you so and…and…ugh! I'm so freaked out!"

Reno almost choked on the smoke in his throat. "Wait, what!" he exclaimed. "How does this man know about the Collapsed Reactor? That is strict Shin-Ra and W.R.O. confidential information."

Yuffie looked confused for a few long moments. "He said it was all over the news…" she whispered, rubbing her goose bumped arm. "_God_ he was so weird!"

"That's impossible. Reeve never lets anything leak!" Reno peered into the shop, covering the glare with his hand. "Where is he, Yuffie?"

Yuffie peered in as well, searching left and right for the creepy pirate man that she'd just seen. "He's…not there," she hissed, backing away, eyes now wider than before. "I thought you said there weren't any back ways in these shops…?"

Reno turned and looked at her, confused more than ever now. "There aren't."

"Then where the hell is he!" Yuffie shouted, grasping her head with her hands. "Oh my God, I'm losing my mind!"

Reno scooped up the bags of liquor and tried to ignore the strange sensation in the pit of his stomach. "I think you're just imagining shit," he assured her, jerking his head in the direction of the airport. "We'll deal with that later. Hurry, or we'll get caught in the bad weather!"

Yuffie shook off her shivers and jogged after Reno, sliding his wallet into her pocket…

"HEY! Where's my money!" She immediately handed him the wallet and looked away. "And what the heck is this?"

Yuffie snatched her vodka from his grasp. "Imported from Wutai," she replied, holding up the clear bottle. "Maybe I'll let you have some later."

Reno scoffed. "It's probably poisoned or something…" he mumbled, taking a deep drag of his cigarette before releasing it into the calm, Junonian wind.

This time, the 'good point' made it out of Yuffie's mouth, which resulted in a lot of swearing from Reno, and a lot of stifled laughter from her.

* * *

**AN: **AH! Creepy man! Will Yuffie heed the freaky pirate man's advice and not tag along? Will the helicopter get caught in bad weather? Will Yuffie get motion sick again? WILL YUFFIE POISON RENO? Who knows! But your reviews could help shape the future of this fic… Reviewing is good for the _soul!_


	6. The Angel

**AN: **Oh come on guys, you can review better than that! Tell me what you _really_ think of my writing. What should I change? Are Reno and Yuffie OOC? Is there too much romance? Not enough? Needs more action? Huh, huh, _huh? _Well, thanks for all the reviews so far anyway... Here's another chapter for your reading pleasure.

* * *

Reno hastily packed his things onboard his beloved helicopter, the one he liked to call "Angel," although its official name was "Shin-Ra 09." It probably looked nothing like an Angel unless you used your imagination, being gunmetal in color and having a big Shin-Ra sticker stamped on the side, but Reno saw it fit, as it was the translation of his surname from French. "Beautiful Angel," to be exact, even though Reno's family was far from beautiful angels. 

After he'd secured his belongings, Reno stepped down and jerked his thumb toward the interior. "Load your shit," he instructed, dusting off his jacket. "And for God's sake, kid, _don't touch anything._"

For calling her a kid again, Yuffie felt like pushing every single little button on that console, but she resisted, as she wasn't in the mood to fly a helicopter on her own today. Climbing in, Yuffie tossed her duffle bag into the corner next to Reno's bags of liquor, swinging her small travel pack on top of a blanketed crate. She overshot, however, causing the pack to slide off and catch the blanket on the way down…

* * *

Meanwhile, Reno whipped out his razor thin cell phone, quickly searching for Reeve's secure number. He hit the call button and held the phone to his ear, waiting for several minutes until he heard Reeve's deep voice on the other end. 

"Reno?" he said, a hint of surprise on his words, as well as annoyance.

"Hey boss," Reno said, looking out into the Junonian sunset as he spoke. "There haven't been any…leaks about this mission, have there?" he asked hesitantly.

"Leaks?" Reeve repeated, sounding even more surprised _and_ annoyed now. "What the hell are you talking about? I haven't even spoken to the press about this matter yet. What makes you ask such a question?"

"Well uh…" Reno managed to stammer. He looked back at the helicopter, but he couldn't see Yuffie from where he was standing.

"There was this weird-ass guy who came and started babbling something about the Collapsed Reactor, and…well I thought maybe there had been a small leak somewhere. But that's impossible. You know what, never mind…"

"Reno, what _are_ you talking about?"

* * *

Yuffie approached this crate with wide eyes, the words not registering in her mind right away. "PROPERTY OF SHIN-RA INC. FRAGILE. DO NOT OPEN." Her imagination came up with millions of weird, dark things that could have been residing in that box…a monster, maybe? Or perhaps it was a failed experiment needing to be disposed of? What if it was explosives? Or maybe some secret weapon that Shin-Ra was transporting up north? Yuffie shivered at all these thoughts, but quickly brushed them aside as she heard Reno's voice not far off. She for the blanket and pulled it back on top of the crate, settling her travel pack with the rest of her things in the corner by the liquor. She backed away slowly into the front of the helicopter her eyes never leaving the blanketed crate… 

"AIIEEK!"

* * *

"Reno, what the hell was that? Do you have a woman with you?" 

Reno wheeled around at the sound of Yuffie's seemingly pained scream. "Uh, no…" he quickly replied to Reeve's question. "It's just some crazy woman that leaned too far over the street. Shit, I gotta go Reeve. I'll call you when I get to the island, okay?"

Reno cut his boss off in mid-sentence and closed his phone, dashing toward the helicopter with a few worried thoughts running through his mind. He jumped up into the vehicle hand's free, whipping out his nightstick at the same time. He leaned over the front seat to see Yuffie clutching her chest, eyes wide as she breathed in and out heavily. He could see several of the controls had emerged and some of the console lights were on. She must have pressed the "ready" button, causing the whole interior to switch to standby mode.

"Fucking Christ, Yuffie!" Reno shouted, tossing his nightstick down and closing the door behind him. "You scared the shit out of me. I thought you were being attacked or something…"

Yuffie swallowed back her shock and sat up straight, turning her head away from Reno as he spoke. "Yeah, like you would have given two shits if I was in trouble."

Reno was a little surprised at the sassy comment, his eyes narrowing with spite. "I was more worried they were gonna hijack the Angel," he snapped, sliding into the pilot's seat with a sigh. His brow knit at the sound of stifled laughter from Yuffie.

Yuffie burst into laughter, having to cover he mouth to stop it. "I thought the Sierra was a girly name!" she hiccupped through her giggles. "But the _Angel?_ Come on, Reno, you can't be serious…"

"Oh, just shut your fucking mouth!" Reno shouted above her laughter. "You don't know shit, okay? Just _shut up!_"

Yuffie's laughing trailed off now, flinching as he cursed her out. "Jeeze, man…" Yuffie whispered, sinking back into her seat like a scared kitten. "I didn't know you'd take it that seriously…" She bit her bottom lip and tried to catch his cerulean eyes, but she failed, and simply stared at her lap, almost embarrassed. "…Sorry."

'_Sorry? SORRY? What is getting into you, Yuffie? Since when is a ninja sorry for anything?'_

Since she met Reno.

The redhead just huffed and pulled on a headset, handing her one as well. "Just forget it, okay?" he suggested, not even making eye contact. Truthfully, he was the one that should be apologizing, but a Turk was even more stubborn than a ninja. He couldn't even remember the last time he said 'sorry' or 'forgive me.' Then again, he'd never found anybody worthy of those words.

Until he met Yuffie.

"Well, you have the coordinates," Reno said quickly, before his thoughts got the best of him. "Where should I set the course?"

"North by northwest," Yuffie replied efficiently. She remembered every single direction word for word on that piece of paper. "Better set the cruise control, it's gonna be a long ride."

The first hour of the helicopter ride was filled with "oohs" and "ahs" from Yuffie, as well as a few "urks" and "gurks" from the motion sickness returning. It went away after a while, however, as Reno was an excellent pilot and kept the Angel nice and steady. Even though the space was smaller than what she had on the Sierra and the Highwind, just dealing with that seemed to give her an edge in the helicopter.

Yuffie's eyes occasionally drifted toward Reno, who seemed very relaxed in the seat of his prized "Angel," and she couldn't help but laugh when she saw him with those big, silly reflectors on his eyes. Reaching over, Yuffie pulled the aviators off his face carefully, as not to break them.

"Hey!" Reno protested, but he just smiled when he saw her slide them onto her own face. They were _much _too big for her face, and almost reminded him of a little girl trying on her dad's hat for the first time. She threw up her hands in the shape of guns, her lips puckering and an eyebrow lifting as if trying to impersonate him. Reno would have yelled at anyone else trying to do this, but he just had to laugh at Yuffie.

It wasn't long before the sky began to darken and Reno would have had to take of his glasses anyway, but he started to worry when the sky turned a hazy gray over the horizon. They were only a few minutes from the shoreline of the Northern Continent, and Reno sensed bad weather crashing on the coast. "Looks like we're gonna be in for a rough ride…" he said, squinting off into the distance.

Yuffie lifted the glasses and squinted as well. "Oh, gawd…" she groaned, sinking into her seat. Just the thought of turbulence made her stomach turn.

Within mere minutes, she could already feel the tail of the helicopter start to shake, and small flakes could be seen rushing from the clouds above. It only worsened as they continued down the coast, and Yuffie had to hold her mouth closed to keep from vomiting in her lap. "Ugh…" she moaned, looking at Reno. "I can't take this much longer."

Reno grit his teeth as he deftly tried to maneuver the large machine through the snow and sleet and wind. "Neither can I," he replied, almost painfully so. "This is bad…we're going to have to land."

Pressing some buttons on the console, Reno jerked the joystick and sent the helicopter slowly descending from the clouds, heading straight for the nearest village he could find…

Icicle Inn.

* * *

**AN: **Oh no's! Bad weather! And a lot of mushy moments…sorry, I just had to stick those in there. Review some more please…with some actual feedback! How am I supposed to improve on just compliments? But, thanks for your support, everyone! 


	7. Fleeting Dance

**AN: **Wow, thanks for all the constructive criticism, guys! I will definitely take all of these suggestions into consideration when I'm writing from now on.

* * *

Also, that last chapter was _really _rushed, so I'll probably end up re-writing it, as well as chapter four. This chapter promises to be a bit longer and more in-depth, as I finally have enough time to just sit down and write… Thanks again for your support and suggestions! 

"_Shit!_"

Reno fought hard to control the lean of the helicopter as violent storm winds seemed hell-bent on brining them into the mountains.

Yuffie could only watch as the calm, collected fellow beside her turned into a mental wreck before her very eyes. Perspiration broke out on his forehead and the backs of his hands while his fingers danced about the console, trembling wildly as he did so. Whether it was from the vibrating of the joystick, or just plain fright, Yuffie couldn't tell.

"We need to find a landing zone…the wind is going to take us straight into the cliffs!" Reno announced, bearing his teeth as he battled against the pull of the joystick. He pushed down hard to level the rising nose, as well as trying to decrease the altitude and get the Angel on the ground safely. Reno searched the ground carefully until his eyes caught sight of a flat spot among the rolling hills of snow.

With a strained groan, he gave one last push and landed the machine with a bang that echoed through the canyon, sending some of the supplies in the back tumbling from their bags and boxes. Yuffie let out a yelp as they grounded, breathing loud and heavy while clutching the side of the seat in both hands. Reno immediately shut down the helicopter and let his head rest on the seat behind him, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants.

After long moments of gasping breaths and trembling hands, Yuffie let her eyes trail over to the exhausted pilot beside her, a relieved smile growing across her face. She silently thanked him for her very life… She didn't say anything, but he really knew how to fly this hunk of junk.

Reno finally opened his eyes after a while, squinting through the wind-blown snow to for any sign of civilization. He could see the wispy smoke blowing in the distance, just atop a steep slope of snow. "Come on," Reno instructed, getting up to move to the back of the helicopter. "We've gotta get to Icicle Inn before the wind really kicks up…" He pulled a jacket from one of his bags and began to pull it on, but he stopped halfway and turned to look at the barely-dressed woman in the front seat. "Here…" he mumbled handing her the parka.

Yuffie looked at it with a raised eyebrow. She hated charity, and being pitied, but she hated wind-chill factors even more. She debated for several moments over whether to take the jacket, and jumped when Reno shouted the order this time. Yuffie snatched the jacket and slid it on, getting lost in its thick layers of down and vinyl. She looked back at Reno, who was pulling a wool blanket from the crate she remembered from earlier. He draped it across his shoulders and pulled part of it up over his head, and then proceeded to pull on his pack, thus holding the blanket in place on his body. Yuffie almost laughed when he turned to face her in this makeshift poncho-like jacket, but she said nothing and moved to pick up her things. She grabbed her duffle and backpack and followed Reno out the passenger side of the helicopter. She was almost blown off her feet by a sudden gust of powerful wind. Yelping again, she leaned forward and clutched Reno's arm, bracing herself for another onslaught of winter gusts. It wasn't even the snow that she worried about… But the wind was horrible. No wonder Reno had such a hard time controlling the Angel.

Yuffie let go of Reno's arm and squinted backward at the helicopter. "Will it be alright?" she asked, almost concerned for the helpless piece of machinery left out in this siege of snow and wind.

Reno just smiled at the Angel. "She's seen worse," he replied, eyes sparkling with pride. "Come on…" he instructed, pointing toward the small dot of Icicle Inn resting on the hill above.

The trek was rather short, but filled with complaints from Yuffie as she groaned about being hungry and cold. Reno ignored everything and just kept on going, despite Yuffie's request for him to slow down. He was the one with the sheet over his head! What did _she_ have to complain about?

The town was quiet on top of the slope; the only sound that could be heard was the wind whistling in chimneys and the shutters blowing on the inn house doors. The light from the inside of the building looked so warming and comfortable right about now, Just what Reno needed after such a horrible time flying. He strode off toward the small, cozy hotel, leaving Yuffie panting at the town entrance.

"Hey! Hey, Turkey…wait for me!" Yuffie gasped as she dashed after him, just catching the inn door before it slammed in her face. "Well jeeze, aren't you a gentleman…?" she muttered through quick breaths. Reno let down his cloak and pack, shaking the snow from clothes. His usually pale face was almost as red as his hair, making him look ten years younger and a hell of a lot cuter. She unzipped his parka and followed him to the front desk.

"It's not often you see travelers at this time of year!" said the jolly innkeeper. "How can I be helpin' you two?"

Reno's face was emotionless the innkeeper made a horrible attempt at small talk. "Room for one please."

Yuffie's mouth dropped. "What? So you're just going to leave me out here by myself?" she hissed, glaring at Reno as he reached in his wallet for some gil.

"Hey, I agreed to take you along, not share a room with you."

"But…but…" Yuffie stammered, looking hurt now. "I wasted all my money buying drinks for you! How am I going to get a room?" She was half-lying; she did have enough money to get a one-nights room, but that would definitely leave her broke afterward, and putting up with Reno for another day was better than having no money.

Reno just gave her that cool, Turkish look, handing the innkeeper his gil. "How about if you sleep in the bathtub?" he chuckled, his eyes glinting slyly.

"Sure, fine, whatever!" Yuffie retorted, throwing her hands up in defeat.

"Whoa…well, if you're that desperate…" Reno replied as he took the key from the old man. He jingled the keys in her face teasingly and then headed up the stairs to his room. Yuffie stomped her foot and scooped up her bags again, storming after him angrily. This time, she did have the door slammed in her face, which Reno opened up again after hearing her angered growl from behind the locked door.

Yuffie glared at him while she tapped her foot. "You're cold, Reno," she stated, brushing past him into the cozy little room, "you really are."

"It's my job, kid," Reno replied, closing the door behind. "But I was just kidding, you can sleep on the floor." His chuckle only fueled her annoyance, leading her to chuck a pillow at his head. He deftly caught it in one hand and smirked as she sprawled herself onto his bed, pressing her legs together so he had no way of seeing up her skirt. "You know…for a ninja, you kinda suck at throwing," he added, tossing the pillow back at her. She caught it and rolled over, pulling the fluffy cushion over her head to hide her embarrassed face.

Reno just laughed at the young woman lying on the bed of his hotel room, leaning against the windowsill as he watched her peek out from beneath the pillow, her pride broken a little. He never let his eyes hover for too long, turning to face out the window, his smile fading as she now watched him. Reno released a sigh after a long while, turning to face the door. "I think I'm gonna go for a drink," he said at last, watching as Yuffie sat up. "But don't think you're going to get me drunk again! Just a few beers is all I'm having…"

Reno trailed off and walked slowly out the door, as if he wanted Yuffie to follow him, leaving the door slightly ajar as he clunked down to the basement barroom. Yuffie contemplated following him for a long time, and finally just gave up on coming up with reasons not to. What could it hurt? She'd already had her fill of embarrassment and insults. There wasn't much more that he could say or do to her now…

Down in the basement floor lay a beautiful barroom, complete with a live stage band, clothed tables, and Reno, alone at the bar, sipping his beer. She slipped up beside him and ordered herself a martini, feeling the need for something out of the ordinary in such a nice place. It was a great change from the Turtle's Paradise and the 7th Heaven…not that they weren't good bars. But a place as risqué as this was sure to pay very well.

There were several couples on the floor dancing with one another, while others sat at their tables, whispering sweet nothings… Now, Yuffie was not the romantic type, but she often wished that someone would treat her like that from time to time: bring her to nice restaurants and wait on her hand and foot…

She turned as the tender served her drink, smiling while she sipped politely from the glass in front of her. She now realized how completely wrong she was about there not being any good liquor up in the north, as this martini challenged the taste of her favorite Wutaian Vodka. Reno seemed to enjoy the look on her face as she drank from the little glass, smirking that playful smirk with that same playful glint in his eye.

When the song changed to an up-beat, jazzy song, Reno's eyebrow cocked as he placed his beer down. "You dance?" he asked, leaning back against the bar.

Yuffie's jaw almost dropped. Boy, Reno was just full of surprises…first the kittens, then the "Angel," and now _this?_ Since when did a big tough guy like him dance?

"Do you?"

Yuffie couldn't answer at first, causing Reno to just roll his eyes and grab her hand, almost making her spill her martini as he dragged her out onto the stage. He brought his hand up and clutched her own tightly, wrapping his arm very low around her waist. Yuffie was a little disgusted at the pass, but she ignored it and just let her own fall on his shoulder. Reno fell into the step and led her very professionally, staring her right in the eyes while the dance began to turn into a tango-like step. She could feel him pulling her closer with every stomp of his foot, but for some really weird reason, she didn't mind too much. He twirled her once, causing her to gasp a bit and fall back into his arms.

"You're pretty good…" she commented, just before he dropped her into a very low dip, his nose almost touching her own. His glowing eyes searched hers for a long while, that witty, attractive smirk never leaving his face. Yuffie gasped louder as he snapped her up and out, twirling her back in so that he was behind her, pressing up against her back while she remained trapped with her arms crossed in front of her. "And you're an asshole," Yuffie added, narrowing her eyes as his cheek brushed against her own.

His chuckle echoed in her ear as he held her there for longer than he should have, his hand resting on her exposed hip. "You like it," he teased, letting his hand now slide up her bare arm. Her eyes couldn't help but flutter closed as his heavy breath danced over the front of her throat…

It was then that she noticed all the people gathering around them, watching as this sly asshole held her in a very suggestive position, seducing her with his unsuspectingly good dance moves and enticing voice.

Just then, the song came to an abrupt stop, causing Reno to jerk her around, letting her fall back into him as slow, quiet notes filled the air. His hand took its place on the small of her back once more, holding her hand up with his own as she melted into him. Yuffie felt like a fool for letting him trick her into another dance, and even thinking _at all _that Reno was attractive. Which he was, of course, but her mind cursed her out every time she even thought about it.

"It's my turn to get you drunk…" Reno whispered into her ear, breathing deep of her thick, dark tresses.

"Forget it," she replied in a stern mumble. "It's not going to happen."

Reno just hissed a little laugh, sending Goosebumps down her arms and back. "Oh, but you already are…" his voice was a soft speech now, his words rolling over her skin like a satin blanket. "Your eyes are all glazed and…oh, look at that. You're shaking."

Yuffie bit her lip as she tried to control her body, but it was no use. Just like clay in his hands, she was free to be molded as he pleased…

But her conscience would not let her be taken so easily. She wrenched herself away from him and savored his hands on her one last time before gliding up the stairs to their room. She was still revelimg in the fleeting dance they had shared, and silently wished it had never ended…

* * *

**AN: **Yay! Finally a long chapter. Another mushy one, but at least it wasn't all "let's make out until the sun comes up, and then we can play in the snow all giddy-like and forget about the mission…" Which will be coming up shortly, so keep an eye out, including more on that crate in the back. Lots of action for this next chapter, I promise! Thanks so much for all of the critique, keep on reviewing! 


	8. The Piano

**AN: **Phew…sorry for the long wait. Turns out I didn't have as much time to write as I thought. A big LA project crept up on me and I was boxed in for time. Thanks for waiting so patiently though! And for all those reviews. I appreciate your input and time.

* * *

"Oh, man… What the hell am I getting myself into?"

Yuffie leaned against the windowsill of the empty inn room, staring out into the waking town of Icicle Inn. It was blanketed in a new layer of snow: windblown, yet peaceful, glittering in the midmorning sun. There had been no sign of Reno in the room ever since she heard him leave early in the morning, but truth be told, Yuffie was relieved that he wasn't around. The very last thing she wanted to do was see the same man that had come so very close to seducing her the night before. Just the thought of it made a cold chill run down her spine… And yet, her heart beat faster and fluttered away at the though of his hands on her hips. Could it be…? No. Ninjas don't love. They don't have time to love. It just gets in the way of everything.

Pushing herself off the windowsill, Yuffie sauntered over to the bed and sank down onto it, staring at her hands in her lap while she mulled over just where the redhead debauchee was now. Yuffie was sure he hadn't left, because all of his things were still lying around the hotel room; things he wouldn't leave behind. His nightstick was gone, however, as well as his parka and the room key.

'_Maybe he went to visit the Angel,'_ Yuffie thought, remembering how much the wind had died down. She slid off the bed and straight into her boots, exiting the room quietly, leaving the door slightly ajar in case she had to get back in without the key.

Yuffie made her way down the stairs and out of the inn, stroking her exposed arm while she adjusted to the bright light and cold temperature. The wind was calm and the town quiet, save for the laughter of children in the streets and the sound of snow crunching beneath her boots.

She stepped toward the crest of Icicle Hill and gazed out over the snow-covered valley, searching for the helicopter amongst the sparkling silver. There, the Angel sat, blanketed in a thin layer of snow, blown up on one side by the mighty wind.

No sign of Reno.

She would have pressed on to see if Reno was inside the helicopter, but she was distracted by the sudden toll of soft bells on the other side of the town. Following the gentle church bells came a beautiful ballad of notes, seeming to beckon Yuffie closer. She set off toward the tiny chapel, gazing at its graceful structure with a certain respect. She thoughtfully avoided the front doors and entered the little congregation from the side, letting her eyes scan over the crowd of bowed heads.

She froze.

Her eyes went wide.

There, sitting beside the altar at a magnificent Grand Piano, was the redhead jerk she was looking for.

Yuffie gawked in awe for a long time as she watched Reno dance his fingers across the faded ivory keys, his blue eyes set with unwavering concentration. He didn't even glance at her while he played and the choir sang, giving her time to snap out of it and quickly take her seat behind him. While the mass proceeded and Reno tipped in at his cues, Yuffie sat with her jaw on the ground, her shock overridden by bewilderment. Reno was beginning to seem like a big softie to her. And all the time while she was traveling with Cloud and his friends, Yuffie perceived the Reno and the Turks to be some big tough, guy's guy group. He owned kittens, flew an Angel, danced like no other, and played the piano. Maybe he was gay?

Yuffie almost laughed at the thought, standing as the rest of the congregation had. She watched as the priest and his…crowd thingy…moved down the aisle and out into the morning to meet and greet. Yuffie stayed where she was until Reno ended his ballad and the people began to recede, allowing her to make her way over to him.

"I swear to God, you are the girliest man I've ever met," Yuffie commented while leaning against the piano he sat at. Reno's eyes trailed up to meet hers, looking stoic and straight-faced. "Since when did you learn to play piano?"

"I haven't played in years…" the redhead replied vaguely, brushing his fingers on the keys in front of him. "No one really knows this, but Icicle Inn is my hometown. Well, it's where I spent a good six years of my life. I used to play the 10:30 mass here in the church… I just wanted to remember what it was like."

Yuffie listened intently, trying not to laugh at her earlier predictions. He pressed his hands down on the keys, bringing about a lovely sound that echoed over the high ceiling of the church. "You're really sensitive, aren't you?" she asked softly, sliding onto the bench next to him.

"I'm usually not like this," Reno replied with a shake of his head. "But this whole trip has made me realize how many weird secrets I have. I mean…I've shared one or two of them with close friends, but no one knows _all_ of my secrets… Except for you."

Yuffie found it hard to look into his eyes then, totally forgetting about all of his "girly" qualities for that moment, focusing on the touching fact that she was the first in his life to actually be exposed to the real Reno…she knew things about him that others didn't, and it made her feel special and important. Whether Reno had chosen to open up to her, or if it was just a freaky chain of events that led her to all this knowledge about him, Yuffie didn't know…but she didn't really want to know. That was just another secret that would be revealed when the time was right.

Reno heaved a sigh and covered the keys, slowly standing to leave the empty church. Yuffie swiveled on the piano seat, gazing at him as he walked down the aisle, feeling a little achy inside… He always left her feeling cold. Always.

Just then, she saw him stop, his whole form straightening. She heard loud footsteps, which did not belong to Reno, stomping on the hollow wood floor. Immediately getting to her feet, Yuffie rushed up beside Reno and squinted into the oncoming light of the open doors, trying to make out the hunched figure.

She gasped!

"That's _him_!" Yuffie shouted, pointing a figure at the creepy, hunched over, squinty-eyed, long-bearded pirate-man she had seen in Junon.

He stopped as soon as Yuffie spoke, his little, beady eye flipping all crazy-like in its socket. "I told you, girl…" he began, his voice angrier and deeper than she'd remembered. "I told you to stay away from here. But you didn't listen! You didn't listen to Maggit, you came here anyway!"

Reno's face tightened with disgust, stepping forward. "Who are you? Why are you following us?" he demanded, glaring at the man who'd called himself Maggit.

"I was only trying to help you…to save you from the Spirits… But now that you've ignored me, I have no choice."

Yuffie watched with wide eyes as the man drew out several daggers from his crinkled leather coat, and with a flick of his wrist sent one flying at Reno. The poor guy barely had a chance to react before the dagger sailed past his ear and stuck itself inside the wood of the piano, holding some of his hair on its serrated edge.

"What are you doing?" Reno shouted, his eyes wide while a hand reached up to his head, a whirring sound in his ear.

"I'm saving you from greater despair, Child! Do not fear; you'll be together this way!" Maggit replied, launching a dagger at Yuffie now. She easily dodged it with shimmy to the right, but she wasn't prepared for the second one and had to duck low to avoid it.

"You're insane!" she called out, ducking behind a pew to avoid another dagger. She heard the sound of metal on metal, causing her to look out and see Reno retracting his nightstick. He used it to parry away another dagger. Yuffie peered over the top of the pew as Maggit unsheathed two longer daggers, charging at Reno with them. Yuffie winced as they met in a flash of sparks. Reno swung his nightstick skillfully, but Maggit always seemed to be one step ahead of him. He bobbed and weaved, stabbing and swinging at the Turk with much more precision than any old man should possess.

Yuffie ducked behind the pew and felt around on her gauntlet sleeve…she had forgotten to attach her armlet before she left the inn. No materia, _and_ no weapon! How was she to help Reno without any offensive tools?

She then recalled the jingles on her belt. Ripping an origami from it, she stood and ran up the pew, launching herself into the air where she could aim better. Tossing the star, she landed the small shruiken deep into Maggit's arm. He cried out in pain and let his guard down, allowing for Reno to attack him full-force, pushing him back with an electrical shock from the end of his nightstick. The old man was sent flying backward into the snow, panting as he struggled to his feet.

"You would rather die by torture and pain!" he shouted, sheathing his daggers. "Then so be it. May the Spirits have their way with you, foolish Children!" Suddenly, a bright flash of light made the two companions shrink away, and when they opened their eyes, the attacker had vanished.

"What…the _hell_…was that?"

* * *

"Reno!" Yuffie called after the persistent redhead as he trudged through the deep snow, making his way to Icicle Hill. "Reno, where are you going? You're not going to leave now, are you? We haven't even gathered our things!"

She carefully made her way down the hill after him, dashing through the several inches of fresh snow between them and the Angel. "Reno…the least you could do is answer me!" she criticized. He grunted something before shaking the snow from the passenger side door and stepping inside. Groaning, Yuffie followed him and swung up into the helicopter. He was bending over something in the back, seeming to be struggling. She came up beside him, her eyebrows rising at the sight of the mysterious crate she'd seen before. He was trying to open it.

"Reno, that crate says 'Do Not Open,'" she pointed out bluntly, almost a little afraid of its contents. "Can't you get in trouble for that?"

Reno's whole softie appearance from before faded as he struggled against the nailed lid of the crate, not even looking at her as he spoke, "Shut up and help me with this."

Yuffie, taken aback at the sudden hostility, immediately tore another star from her belt and slid it beneath the cover, cracking it a bit so it was easier to open. Reno pushed hard and snapped the lid open at last, pushing it off to the side as both of them leaned inside. Upon seeing its contents, Reno heaved a sigh.

Yuffie gasped.

"Where did you _get_ all of this?" she hissed, reaching in to grab one of the several gleaming, glinting, pure orbs of materia. Reno grabbed her wrist tightly in his hand before she had a chance to even touch one.

"Reeve requested that I bring all of this back with me to the headquarters once I collect the last sample of materia from the Collapsed Reactor."

Yuffie's brow knit. "So there's more of this Occult Materia other than the stuff up here?" she inquired, slithering her hand from his grasp.

"Lots more of it…" Reno replied, counting the rows of different colored materia. "After that weird-ass guy came here babbling about the reactor, I thought his target might be the materia…but I guess I was wrong. None of it is missing."

Yuffie thought for a moment, the bright glow of the materia reflecting in her lilac eyes. "What did he mean by the Spirits…?" she asked, looking at Reno. "And why did he call us Children? Do you think this has anything to do with Jenova or Sephiroth?"

Reno just shook his head. "Let's hope not," he prayed. "The last thing we need is another one of him running around, blowing shit up." Reno lifted the cover of the crate back into position. "But he's gone now, and that's all that matters. If he shows up again, we'll finish him off…" The hair on Reno's neck was still standing on end, but Reno maintained his calm exterior. "We have more important things to do," he finally added, trying to change the subject. "We have to get moving before nightfall, or we'll get caught in another storm…"

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**AN: **Whoa! That's a lot to handle. Don't worry; it'll all make sense later. Just keep reading and reviewing! And before you go saying that Reno has a lot of OOC traits…I know already. But in order for everything to work out between Yuffie and Reno, I had to have some sort of trust spawn between them. Never fear, Reno is, and always will be one tough-ass Turk! And that will come up soon enough. Keep reading! 


	9. Cold Dream

**AN: **HURRAY! I reached my goal of 1,000 hits! Thanks so much, guys! You keep this fanfic alive. Your dedication is incredible! But I've set a new goal now: 100 reviews! Think I can pull it off? Let's see.

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"Gawd, how do you guys wear this crap?" Yuffie whined, shifting her little form inside the much-too-loose white undershirt and navy pants she wore over her outfit. "I feel like I'm wearing pajamas." 

Reno narrowed his eyes and handed her the extra navy coat in his hands. "It's not like we have a choice," he retorted. "Turk's standard uniform."

Yuffie pulled on the jacket and zipped it up halfway. Reno's size was at least four times larger than hers. His extra jacket hung off her form like a hand-me-down. "Ugh, it's huge," she complained.

"If you want look like a Turk, you're going to wear it," Reno ordered. "Otherwise, you're not going into that reactor."

"Fine," Yuffie at last agreed, sliding a tie around her neck. She fiddled with it for a long while, trying to remember how to tie a half-Windsor. It looked more like a knot than anything when she was finished.

"…Need some help?" Reno asked, trying to hide the amusement on his face.

"I've got it," Yuffie snapped. She untied the knot and began again, looking determined.

Reno rolled his eyes and reached out, taking Yuffie's hands in his own. "Here," he said, crossing the tie correctly, "like this." He pulled the fabric down through the knot and slid it up, folding her collar over it. "There. Perfect."

Yuffie avoided his stare coolly, barely noticing his hands resting on her shoulders. After a while, she caught the glint of his cerulean eyes, allowing herself to be trapped in his gaze. She got that cold feeling again, trying to make herself immune to it before it was too late… But soon she was on the verge of trembling again, and she had to look away.

Reno sensed her discomfort and let his hands slide down her shoulders, brushing her palms on the way down. "We'd better get going or we'll loose sunlight," he suggested while he slung his bag over his shoulder, turning to leave their room. "You look great, by the way." Reno grinned and swept out of the room like a shadow without another word.

Yuffie clutched her pattering heart, cursing Reno out for making her lose control again. _'He's the devil!'_ her mind shouted, picking up her things to hurry after him before she lost him in the snow again.

He was waiting for her, however, outside of the inn, hands in his pockets and pack hanging off his shoulder. Another smile crept up on his face when he set his eyes on her, his thoughts wandering from their destination for a moment. _'She'd make a great Turk,' _he thought to himself, imagining Yuffie with a nightstick and sunglasses, standing beside him as they exited the Angel. Now that was a badass team. Of course, Reno knew it was totally improbable, as Yuffie was a ninja, and spent her days traveling alone, conning people out of money and materia. It would take some sort of miracle to get her to change her ways.

Reno's thoughts were interrupted as Yuffie cleared her throat. "Well," she began, heaving an uneasy sigh. "You ready?"

The redhead just nodded and turned on his heel, leading the way over to the crest of Icicle Hill, easily scaling his way down through the snowy field to where the Angel rested. It had begun to flurry new flakes, but he'd heard from the locals that it was just a weak system trickling in off the coast. Other than that, the skies looked clear for Reno.

After Yuffie had climbed in and secured herself, the pilot beside her started the engines, his fingers skillfully fluttering across the several consoles before him. Before Yuffie could even count to ten, they were lifted off and gaining altitude rapidly.

"Where to from here?" Reno asked over the whirring of the blades.

"West by northwest," Yuffie calculated, gazing out over the sea with thought while Reno dipped the helicopter in that direction. It would be another long ride as before, and she was prepared for the worst of motion sickness, although it seemed she was handling it rather well so far. So well even, that she thought about dozing off for a while…never before had sleep come this easy to her while in an aircraft. Her eyes grew heavy as she gazed one last time at Reno, the sound of the chopper blades almost lulling her to sleep within minutes of their departure...

And just as early as she'd fallen asleep, Yuffie was woken once again. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes to see a strained look on Reno's face in place of the relaxed one he'd had on before she fell asleep. He was pulling against the joystick, his sunglasses sliding off his nose due to perspiration.

"What…what's going on?" Yuffie gasped, fully awake now. Her eyes flashed outside the windshield, squeaking as she was met with pure white for miles. The snow clashed against the window at incredible speeds, the tail of the Angel quivering in disagreement with the wind.

"We're in the eye of the storm!" Reno shouted, pure terror in his voice. "Her tail's gonna rip off, I've got no control!" the whole console began to shake, and soon, Reno's hand was slipping on the joystick.

"It's no good, we're going dow—!"

Yuffie shrieked as Reno's words were cut off and a loud crash echoed in her ears. She was jerked forward, her head hitting the console in front; the only thing keeping her from going through the windshield was the belt across her shoulder. The helicopter rolled for what seemed like forever, the eternity filled with Yuffie's screams. The machine came to a stop at last, upside-down and filled with shattered glass and snow and blood. Yuffie released herself from the seat and came crashing down to the ceiling, feeling glass fragments jabbing into her body. She rolled onto her back and cradled a broken arm, struggling to sit up. "Reno!" she cried, crawling to his limp figure, flat on his stomach, eyes heavy with fading life. "Oh, God…Reno, please don't go," she begged, shifting his paralyzed body into her lap. "I still have so much to tell you...!"

Reno laughed through his tears, grabbing her sleeve with a bloody hand. "Yeah, me too…" he gasped, labored by crushed lungs. "It was nice knowing you…Yuffie… Yuffie. Yuffie…?"

"Yuffie! Wake _up!_"

She sat up straight, almost choking herself on the strap across her shoulder. Yuffie's eyes went wide as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Reno!" she gasped, never so happy to see him in her life.

"Yeah…" he said with a knit brow. "We're here. You okay? You don't look so good."

Yuffie wiped her wet forehead with the back of her hand, sighing as she realized it was just a dream, unclipping her seatbelt. "Uh…yeah, I'm alright," she lied, standing with on wobbly legs. "How was the ride?"

Reno shrugged and tossed Yuffie her bags. "Nothing special," he replied. "We had a good tail wind, probably what got us here so fast."

Yuffie nodded in understanding, following him outside into the open snowfield, neglecting to tell him anything about her horrid nightmare. _'It was nothing,'_ she assured herself, heaving a trembling sigh. _'Just a bad dream, nothing more…it doesn't mean anything.'_

"There it is," Reno announced, pointing through the light flurry of snowflakes at a tiny house, sitting alone on the white plain, a small stream of smoke billowing from its chimney. He started off toward it, pacing his steps so that Yuffie would not be left behind. She followed close to him, her eyes never leaving the small abode they were headed for. "Hey, what's the guy's name again?" Reno asked, glancing down at the Turk-dressed ninja beside him. "And his wife?"

"Jon and Grace Arrington," Yuffie replied, gathering as much information as she could from the paper she'd destroyed in Junon. "They have a son, Kris. He'll be the guide, I suppose… He mines the materia for selling in places like Costa del Sol and Mideel."

"How do you memorize all that shit?" Reno laughed, sliding his hands in his pockets.

"I'm a ninja," Yuffie remarked. "You have to keep your facts straight when you're someone like me."

Reno just smirked and shook his head at the irony. In order to be a good liar, you had to know all truth…

"Hey Reno," Yuffie piped, looking up at him. "Don't you think I should have a fake name? Something to cover in case the W.R.O. finds out? Reeve knows who I am…"

The redhead just shrugged. "What did you have in mind?"

"I don't know…just a name. What would you call me if I was a Turk?"

"Yuffie."

The ninja sighed. "Don't you guys have aliases or something?"

"Not really."

"Oh, come on. Just pull something out of your ass!"

"…Something."

Yuffie growled, resisting the urge to knock him in the head. That was the second time she'd got a reply like that! The first being on her 'date' with Cloud at the Gold Saucer.

"Okay, how does this sound?" she asked, making a dramatic hand movement. "Roxy Hemmingway…"

"Sounds like a hooker name," Reno muttered. "OUCH! What, I was just telling the truth!" He rubbed his red cheek as Yuffie walked fuming beside him.

"I like it. And I'm going to use it!" she announced spitefully.

Reno sulked all the way to the little log cabin, stepping onto the porch before ringing the doorbell. Yuffie fixed her suit and stood proudly, trying to act as Turkish as possible. Footsteps were heard from within, and the storm door slowly opened just a crack, a large, gray-blue eye peering from behind the screen. "May I help you?" said the timid woman.

Yuffie nudged the stiff, un-personable Reno. He blinked and then cleared his throat. "Good afternoon," he said in a monotone voice. "I'm Reno Bellanger of the Turks, head of the Occult Materia operation?"

The little woman heaved a sigh and opened the storm door fully, pushing the screen door outward to let them in. "Oh, you're here!" she said happily as Reno stepped over the threshold, making room for Yuffie to follow. He wiped his boots once on the carpet at the door closed behind them.

"Jon, Kris!" the tiny woman called up the stairs. "The W.R.O. men are here!"

Yuffie gazed around the little cabin curiously, having never seen anything like this. The walls were covered in beautiful, shaped furs, and the placed smelled like fresh pine. A fire crackled in the living room where a lone rocker sat, still teetering back and forth.

She lifted her eyes to the balcony above as two men descended the stairs; a short, balding man was in front, probably Jon, followed by a skinny, pale, blonde-haired kid behind, most likely Kris. He couldn't have been more than eighteen years old…

Jon immediately walked up to Reno and held out his hand. Reno took it a bit reluctantly.

"Well, hello there! It's nice tah meetchya, mister…?"

Reno smiled awkwardly at the title, "Oh, just call me Reno," he said, released his hand. Kris just gave a lazy wave and put his hands in his pockets.

"And who is this lovely lady?" Jon asked, looking at Yuffie. He took her hand in both of his, shaking it lightly.

"This is…" Reno faltered, almost laughing as her fake name made its way to his lips. "Roxy Hemmingway. She'll be accompanying me to the reactor."

Jon laughed aloud and placed his hands on his hips. "Reno and Roxy! What a pair!" he chuckled, his green eyes twinkling. "Welcome to Arrington Island. The land has belonged to my family for seven generations. We're happy to let you come and quarry our great materia. What type is it that you're looking for again?"

Kris butted in. "It's the Occult Materia, Dad," he interjected, "and it's not exactly great. The stuff is dangerous, according to the W.R.O. guys I spoke to. I'm so relieved you could take it off our hands. I've been afraid to go near the stuff ever since it appeared at the bottom of the reactor."

Reno's eyebrow lifted as the young man spoke. "You know a lot, kid," he remarked. "You've done your homework."

Kris nodded. "Materia is my field of expertise. And just by what I know, I was smart enough to stay away from that stuff. I'm glad someone who knows what their doing is here to take care of it."

The way he spoke about it made Yuffie even more frightened to go down into the Reactor than she had been before she arrived. Could it have had anything to do with the crazy man who'd attacked them at Icicle Inn? How did it all connect back to the Occult Materia that Reno was delivering? She'd have the question him later about it all…

Sensing the tension in the air, Grace clapped her hands together and smiled. "Well, you all must be tired from that long trip… We have our guest bedroom set up for you to stay the night. Why don't you all take a rest and you can go in the morning?"

* * *

Yuffie stared at the low, logged ceiling above her, stretching her arms above her head, unable to fall asleep with so many thoughts whirring around in her mind. She had so generously given up the bed to Reno, as she had taken his in Junon, and still felt bad for getting him wasted that night. He had begun to protest, but she knew that he couldn't turn it down. She knew he wasn't asleep either, as the sound of swishing liquid could be heard from the fur-covered in the middle of the room. He was drinking again… 

"…Reno…?" Yuffie asked timidly, rolling onto her side so she could look at him. Only his outline was visible in the darkness of the spare bedroom. He stopped drinking and let the bottle fall down to his side. He didn't say anything. "Um…what _is _the Occult Materia exactly…?"

Reno huffed a bit, taking another swig of his drink. "I don't know," Reno replied vaguely. "I haven't been assigned to any other collection other than this one. None of the Turks have. It's usually the W.R.O. personnel that takes care of it, but this mission was especially dangerous. Reeve wanted somebody who was prepared for rigorous conditions to work this case."

Yuffie thought for a moment before asking, "Well, why are you transporting all the materia if you don't even know how to handle it?"

Reno just grunted and returned to drinking. "That's Reeve Tuesti for you," he remarked between swigs. "All I know is that the materia is dangerous in some way, and needs to be extracted carefully. That's all Reeve would tell me about it."

Yuffie was silent for a moment. "…Do you think that man was right? The one that said we'd suffer despair?"

Reno heaved a dry laugh. "Yuffie, the man was off his rocker," he assured her. "Why in all of hell you're worrying about it, I don't know. Just relax, you're overreacting."

Yuffie agreed with him silently, although deep inside she was still shaking with fear. What if he was wrong and they were to suffer a fate similar to her dream? What if that man attacked again, and this time didn't miss with his daggers? What if…what if she lost Reno out here? What would she do?

Yuffie shivered at the thought. She pulled her furs up closer around her, but it didn't help.

"Reno…?" she whispered again, biting down on her lip.

"Mm?"

"I'm cold."

"Hmph."

With no more than a rustle of blankets, Yuffie shifted into the empty space beside Reno, and it only made her shiver more as his hand slid gently around her waist…

* * *

**AN: **On no's! Sexual tension. What will become of their relationship now? Read, review, and find out! Next stop: the Collapsed Reactor. Chyahaha! 


	10. Not Like That

**AN: **Updated the summary March 7th.

Sorry for the long wait! Here's another chapter for your reading pleasure. We're almost halfway there so keep up the reviews please! Thanks so much for your dedication with this story. It means a lot!

* * *

Yuffie's eyes were met with the cloudy hues of the morning, gentle purple and orange waves spilling out over the log cabin, slowly yet surely spreading across the uncarpeted floor. She felt no arm around her waist as she woke, allowing her to sit up unhindered. She craned her neck to peek into the morning, met with a new blanket of snow stretching across the valley. The sun rose between the jagged mountains to the north, casting its dim glow over the land.

Yuffie stretched and stifled a yawn, only now noticing the unmoving presence beside her. With a soft smile on her waking features, Yuffie gently shook the redhead's shoulder, rolling her eyes after no response. "Reeeno," she whined, shaking him harder. "Reno, wake up. We're going to miss breakfast…"

No reply.

"Reno?"

Yuffie rolled his inert form over, her eyes refusing to register the sight before them.

Reno's sea green eyes were wide and lifeless, piercing her soul. He lay drenched in his own blood with a dagger lodged deep into his heart.

_A dagger she'd seen before._

Yuffie choked back a terrified scream, her eyes welling with big, pearly tears. Covering her mouth as she slid off the bed, she backed into the corner like a frightened puppy, cowering in terror while tears streamed down her cheeks. Yuffie shielded her face with her arms, crying out Reno's name in disbelief and absolute horror.

It was then that she felt cold hands grip her wrists firmly, pulling her upward into a firmer embrace.

"_No_!" she cried, struggling against the entrapping grip around her. "Let me _go_!NO!"

"Yuffie!" a voice hissed at her. "Yuffie, stop it!"

She obeyed, running out of strength to fight this omnipotent force holding her.

"Yuffie…wake up. Wake up!"

Leaning back against the firm embrace, Yuffie let her stinging eyes part slowly, focusing on the blend of red and blue before her. "Reno…" she sobbed, letting her head fall onto his shoulder, hissing a sigh of relief. "Oh, God Reno. It was horrible… I…I…You were… I thought you…"

Reno hushed her, letting his hands wrap around her and rock her back and forth gently. He felt it. He felt all of her pain; her suffering; her terror. She had seen the worst, and now she was scarred with it. "It was just a dream," he whispered understandingly. "I'm here, don't worry."

After several moments of staring into space as she hung over Reno's shoulder, Yuffie mustered up the strength to speak at last. "We…can't go to the reactor," she said softly, speaking into the collar of his shirt, her breath moving the hair on his neck back and forth, back and forth… She felt Reno shake his head.

"It was just a dream, God damnit!" he grunted, his hands gripping her shoulders tighter. He had to be strong for her! "Just a fucking…dream…"

"I don't want to lose you Reno," Yuffie replied, burying her face in the endless fires of his hair. "Not like that."

* * *

"Are you alright, missy?" came Kris's concerned voice. He tried to catch Yuffie's darting eyes. She stood out on the plain beside Reno dressed in thick parkas and outdoor gear, struggling to keep her shaking knees under control. It had taken so much convincing, but Reno had at last gotten Yuffie to come along to the reactor, despite her horrific premonitions of his death. She was still highly unsure of anything at this point, but it would come off strange to the family were she to suddenly up and leave.

"Yeah," Yuffie replied in a trembling voice. "I just get airsick easily." The fact was true, but the response was a total lie. She was definitely not alright, but the calm ninja kept it to herself.

"Ah, well don't you worry," Kris assured her. "The Whisper is the smoothest ride in all the Northern Continent!"

He was, of course, referring to the little old helicopter parked behind the log cabin, its pale blue paintjob chipping from many years of use. It was much smaller than the Angel, but it had two rows of seats as in place of the storage space, and, to be honest, it was more attractive than the crappy Shin-Ra interior decorating the Angel.

Once everyone was boarded and strapped in, Kris started the engines and took flight, setting their course for the Northern Mountain Ridge.

Kris was right, the ride was smooth, but Yuffie's stomach was still turning from the morning events. It was hard to conceal the sick look on her face.

"How're you doing?" she heard Reno ask from the front seat. He had made certain that they take Kris's helicopter so that Yuffie would not worry about the happenings in her dream coming true…but it didn't seem to comfort her much.

"Fine," she mumbled in return. "Just fine."

Reno stayed quiet for the rest of the ride, carefully leaning over to scan the ground for any sign of a reactor nearby.

"There she is!" Kris announced, pointing as he began to lower the altitude.

Reno squinted downward. "…Where?"

Kris chuckled as they touched down, powering down the machine slowly, leaving his travelers to ponder. They disembarked the Whisper, standing on an overhanging ledge rather high above the canyon. Yuffie wandered over to the edge of the cliff, gazing down the mountainside. A soft gust of wind blew snowflakes in her direction, causing her to huff and turn away, following the men to where they stood against the cliff face. Reno had given up on finding the reactor, just leaving Kris to do the work for now.

He seemed to be performing some strange ritual, counting his steps from the edge of the cliff, waving his finger in the air as though he were pointing to something on the face of the mountain. All Reno saw was snow and rocks.

"Here were are!" Kris sighed at last, advancing straight forward until he met with the solid rock. Brushing the thick layer of snow away, he felt around for some time until his hand reached something beneath it. He jerked it and pulled, and the groaning of metal echoed through the valley. A large metal door swung back to reveal the darkest passage Reno had ever seen in his life. It stretched on forever, going deep within the bowls of the mountain...

"So the reactor was built _inside_ the mountain," Reno collected, moving to the threshold of the tunnel. "Amazing…"

Kris nodded, following him through the doorway. He disappeared almost immediately into the darkness, and reappeared some time later as a light on his helmet clicked on. He handed one to Reno and one to Yuffie before beckoning them inside. Reno led the way, with Yuffie nipping at his heels, careful not to loose him in the blackness of the tunnel.

"The reactor was built fifty years ago, when my father was just a child," Kris explained as he navigated the honeycombed mines expertly. "At first, the Arringtons were enraged that Shin-Ra dare build a reactor in our beloved mines, but we came to realize, that after the internal structure collapsed and Shin-Ra lost interest, that these metal tunnels were an extreme improvement on the old wooden ones that were here before." Kris stopped at a dead end and tilted his helmet down, kneeling to open a wide hatch on the damp ground. A long, spiral stairwell leading downward was exposed, and Kris unhesitatingly began descending it, hollering up for the two "Turks" to follow him.

"The reactor only lasted a few years before the pressure of the rocks inside caused the whole thing to just come down on itself," he continued once they'd reached the bottom. "My father and his father came down here to inspect the damage, and respectively ended up supporting the main structure and opening up the blocked passages, giving us a straight shot at all of the pure materia sitting down here." Kris turned his head to look down a side passage, but decided against it and moved on. "Mining was a much longer process before all of those events. We can collect materia in almost half the time now."

As soon Kris had finished his speech, another dead end approached, but Kris just kept walking while Reno and Yuffie stopped in their tracks. He kept up his momentum and threw his hands up, leaning with all his might against the wall in front of him. Two broad, heavy, rusted doors parted to reveal a sight neither of the travelers had ever seen before...

Materia of all colors decorated every wall of the cave; glinting and glistening like a black, starry sky on a cloudless night. This materia-ceiling lighted the entire cave. Green materia, yellow materia, purple materia, blue materia…it was like a rainbow of endless magic orbs. Yuffie nearly fell to her knees at the sight! All the materia she wanted, lining the ceiling of this honeycombed cave… Wutai would be rich in itself if a resource like this were available to them.

Kris grinned at the marveling travelers behind him. "This is nothing," he laughed. "Before my father started mining, you had to wear goggles just to see down here." He motioned them down a side passage that curved around the back side of the cave. Yuffie lagged behind, gently chiseling away whatever materia she could fit into her pack without Kris noticing. What could it hurt? He was already set for another…century or two.

The passage opened into a large, dome-shaped cave with a high ceiling like the main room, only with less materia decorating the walls. Yuffie was too busy gazing around the perfectly sculpted ceiling to even notice the dim glow across from where they stood.

"Look…" Reno hissed, pointing ahead of him. On the other side of the grand cavern lay a beautiful Mako fountain, surrounding a pedestal of stunning violet-colored materia. The fountain glowed with a rainbow of colors, making pillar of light enclosing the pedestal itself.

Yuffie was entranced for a moment, her heart beating loudly against her chest. Something in the pit of her stomach made her feel like this was all a bad idea when her eyes locked onto that materia…like the Mako inside was telling her to leave and forget anything had ever happened. It was trying to tell her to forget the materia in her pack and the materia in the helicopter…it was telling her to forget Reno and the moments they shared.

But even with her great respect for the power of materia, Yuffie refused to let that happen. She would never forget her experiences with Reno, no matter how hard she tried to make it all go away.

"That's it," Reno sighed. "That's the Occult Materia. That's what we're looking for."

He moved forward with a hesitating step, each one seeming to push the pedestal farther away from him… All he had to do was reach out and pick it up, and return to Midgar with this orb in hand. Then it would all disappear and he could start with a clean slate. Yuffie…? Yes. Yuffie would be there too. He saw her in the picture his mind painted. She was smiling and…and…crying? Why was she crying? What did she have to be sad about? It would all turn out alright. He knew it would.

He felt his feet touch the warm swirling purple Mako, but he didn't stop. Slowly, he waded into the fountain, his stride widening in order to reach the banks quicker. Impulsively, Reno reached out a hand to touch the materia on the pedestal, feeling his fingers brush against the chilly, glass-like orb…

"Reno," came a voice from the other bank of the fountain. He turned to look at Yuffie, the glow of his eyes accentuated by all of the Mako surrounding him. "Be careful."

With a nod of understanding, Reno turned again to face the materia, letting his other hand join it on the pedestal. He cupped the orb with the utmost of care, remembering how much Reeve had stressed care and caution when he explained how to extract it. With a gentle tug, the orb came loose and now rested in the bottom of his hand, glowing its majestic violet glow. He opened his pack and let it slide into the side compartment, padded with silk cloths for extra protection. He turned to face Yuffie with a proud smile on his features, but stopped suddenly, his ears twitching at the sound of whispers, slithering out from the pedestal behind him. He couldn't make out any words, even as he turned to face the pillar, but a glint caught his eye on the spot where the materia had just been…a tiny stream of pure, black Mako was squeezing out through the pedestal; just a trickle at first, then a steady stream. It leaked out onto the floor, covering his feet as it seeped into the fountain itself, permeating the violet water with its black glow. As Reno tried to figure out what was happening, the pressure of the Mako stream continued to increase, pouring out from all sides of the pedestal.

He could hear his name being called from the other side of the fountain, but it sounded muffled in his ears… The fountain began to overflow its banks, and the whispering Mako began to sound as though it were yelling at him.

"_Reno_!" Yuffie cried, trying to get his attention…but he would not look her way no matter how loudly she called his name. Finally, she decided against her better judgment and waded into the violet-turned-black Mako fountain and grabbed Reno's hand in hers. "_Reno_! Snap out of it!"

The redhead looked at her painfully, his eyes now glowing intensely. "They're all yelling at once…" he whined meekly, covering his ears with his hands. "Just shut up! All of you!"

The pressure of the liquid pushed against the backs of Reno's legs, causing them to buckle. Yuffie caught him and pushed him forward, leading him back through the fountain.

"We have to get out of here!" Kris shouted over the flow of the Mako, motioning wildly with his hands.

Yuffie's hands shot up to her ears as a shrill scream echoed through the entire cavern. She doubled over in near paralysis! She looked back, squinting through a bright glow to see a beastly figure arising from within the Mako fountain. Once the glow subsided, Yuffie turned to face Kris, whose eyes were as wide as her own.

"Mako Zombie!" he shouted, looking at Yuffie now. "Souls possessed by pure Mako energy!"

Yuffie turned to face this Mako Zombie, her fists tightening with suppressed fear. The beast looked like a reaper, cloaked in black ink and wrapped in darkness.

"Leave it!" Kris instructed as the Zombie screeched again, gliding across the floor toward them. "Hurry!"

Yuffie turned to run, but stopped as she passed an unmoving Reno, his eyes lifted to the beast before him, looking like a zombie himself. "Reno!" she cried. "Come on! You're going to be killed!"

After no response, Yuffie retreated toward him, keeping her eyes to the ground as not to be possessed by this demon. She grabbed both of Reno's shoulders and wrenched him away, leading him by the hand to the opening of the passage, following Kris as fast as her legs would carry her. She could hear the sound of charging energy, and caught a glimpse of a violet glow over her shoulder. She pulled Reno faster as a bang like a gun threatened to ruin her hearing. She felt a rumbling behind her, spurring her to run faster.

Kris was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs, straightening his helmet. His eyes went wide as he met eyes with Yuffie. "B-b-behind you!" he shrieked, turning on his heel and retreating up the stairs. Yuffie flicked her head backward, only able to see a bright purple flash following Reno's heels as they dashed up the stairs behind Kris. The staircase seemed to go on forever, winding up through the cavern until it opened into the wide, main passage. She was able to see Kris fleeing down, but he stopped at a dead end. He was struggling against the door, trying to wrench it open with all his might.

"It's stuck!" he hollered back, but immediately turned to continue against it once he saw the beam of violet light following the travelers. Yuffie released Reno's hand once she was close enough to the door, waiting until Kris's hand had pulled down on the latch, and ran into the metal wall at full force. It flew open, causing Kris to stumble out into the snow and scramble to his feet, making it as far away from the open door as possible. Yuffie retreated and grasped Reno's hand once more, flinging him forward just as the violet beam threatened to envelope him. She followed behind, pushing his unresponsive form onward until they were into the open, in which she tackled him over onto the ground, shielding his body with her own as the energy within the passage dispersed through the door, causing a huge explosion to rattle the canyon like a rocket.

Once the echo had subsided, Yuffie lifted herself off of Reno's limp body, turning to face the flaming doorway, her eyes going wide at the new sight. Shrill screams could be heard all around as one after the other, small Mako Zombies crawled from the ruined passageway, floating off into the sky like a flock of tiny black birds.

_What had they done?_

_

* * *

_

**AN: **Wow, that's some deep stuff right there. I'll leave you cliffhanging for a while until I know exactly what I'm doing for the next chapter. In the meantime, submit your reviews and tell me what you think of the first half of the story! Tell me what you think happened to Reno, tell me what you think is going to happen next, and what _should _happen next. I have an outline of ideas, but this is a point in the story where your thoughts can help shape the future of the plot. So help a girl out, huh!


	11. Crisis Returns

**AN: **Okay, cliffhangage over. Time to move this story along! I appreciate all your thoughts and comments on the first half. Just keep up the feedback for the second half! Thanks again. Now here's the first chapter of part two...

* * *

Yuffie sat in silence. She waited and waited, patiently and still. She grew weary and tired, but still, she waited. The gentle beeping of machinery around her became no more than a muffled whirr in her ears, measuring his steady heartbeat like a clock. She could hear the gasping breaths being pushed into his lungs by a respirator, her hands trembling with every automated breath that whispered into him. She couldn't bear to look at him like that any longer…he seemed so helpless and lost, like a fish out of water, struggling to even breath on land.

She stood at last and left the room without a word, moving toward the counter where the nurses sat. "Do yo know where Dr. Harem is?" she asked in a trembling voice.

A curly-haired nurse looked up at her, offering a smile. "She's with another patient right now," she explained. "What room should I tell her to visit?"

Yuffie sighed and glanced over her shoulder. "Number 33," she said rubbing her chilled arms. "But don't rush her…"

The nurse gave a nod as Yuffie turned and walked away, heading back to Reno's room. She pulled a chair up to his bedside and sat quietly again, looking at his emotionless face. "I'm so sorry, Reno…" she whispered, gently brushing a few of his fiery locks from his face. He didn't respond at all to her touch, making her bite down on her lip to keep from sobbing in disbelief.

Yuffie took her eyes from him and let them pan out over the rest of his limp, unresponsive body. She reached out and took up his jacket from the end of the bed, spreading it over her shoulder to steady the chills running down her spine. Sinking back into it, Yuffie breathed deeply of his scent and pulled her arms through the long sleeves, nuzzling her cheek against it to recall its softness.

It wouldn't be long until Shin-Ra and the W.R.O. arrived in Icicle Inn, demanding to know what happened to their employee. And _she_ would have to explain what happened. _She _would have to tell them how this all came about. _She _would have to explain why she was with Reno…and what had happened between them.

"Miss…Hemmingway?"

Yuffie glanced over her shoulder at the woman in the doorway. Upon seeing Dr. Harem, she stood immediately and bowed her head a bit. "Thank you for coming Doctor," she said. "I…I just wanted to know about Reno's condition."

Dr. Harem's face softened as she made her way toward Yuffie, passing her to look at Reno. "Mako Poisoning," she explained. "A strange case…but not all too serious."

Yuffie released a sigh at the words.

"He'll probably recover over the course of a few days, but there is a high chance of permanent damage to his brain and spinal cord… He'll probably be paralyzed for a long period of time, and there is no guarantee that he'll remember who you are…"

Her heart sank. Not remember? How could he possibly forget what they'd gone through? He_ had _to remember. He just _had_ to!

But there was still a chance he could fully recover…Cloud had done it! She had seen it with her very eyes. Reno had a fighting chance, and that was all Yuffie had to hold onto.

"This coma is a rare side effect," Dr. Harem continued. "Usually Mako-poisoned patients find themselves lost in a dream world, or stuck with amnesia for several years. In the coma effect case, it could mean both for him. He's probably in some far-off land, trying to find his way back to humanity…"

Yuffie watched as the doctor spoke with a whimsical tone, trying not to choke up at the words. She was posing as a Turk, after all. "How…how long do you think it will take him? To fully recover, I mean," she asked at last, bracing herself for a heavy reply.

Dr. Harem gave a look of thought. "Who knows?" she replied vaguely. "He could come back in a matter of days…or a matter of years. Each case varies." Yuffie's soul was broken at these words, and it showed in her tense face. "But I'd say," Dr. Harem continued, seeing the upset look on the woman's face, "if Reno is a strong man, he'll pull through soon…but not without your help. You should stay here and urge him on. It may not seem logical, but test have shown that patients with a shoulder to lean on have a greater chance of recovering. Even patients in comas."

Yuffie's heart was lifted. That, she knew was true. Without Tifa, who knows what would have happened to Cloud It's possible he would have never recovered without her being there to help him every step of the way…

Dr. Harem tucked her clipboard under her arm and approached Yuffie, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Stay strong, Miss Hemmingway. We'll do everything we can to help Reno."

Yuffie gave a nod as the doctor walked away, leaving her alone to watch over the helpless man lying in the hospital bed before her.

Just then, the door swung open, nearly knocking Dr. Harem off her feet. Yuffie spun, gasping upon seeing whom had burst in.

"Where is Reno Bellanger?" came the deep voice of none other than Reeve Tuesti. Rude was standing behind him, his face a straight as a board.

"He's…there," Dr. Harem replied, almost afraid of the two tall men standing in the doorway. She pointed to the bed behind Yuffie.

Reeve took a few steps forward, then stopped. His eyes went wide. His brow knit. "Yuffie?" he gasped, his voice a mixture of anger and surprise. "What are you doing here? And _why_ are you dressed like that?"

Dr. Harem cut in. "This woman's name is Roxy Hemmingway," she declared.

Reeve gave a single, dry laugh and continued to approach Yuffie, his eyes narrowing. "This is a Kisaragi if ever I knew one," he grumbled. "Answer me: _why_ are you here and _why_ are you wearing a Turk's uniform?"

Yuffie gazed up at the older man, almost frightened at his serious expression. "I…I…" she stammered, shooting a glance down at Reno. "I hopped ride with Reno back at Junon…" she began, twisting her hands around. "I overheard about the Occult Materia and the Collapsed Reactor, and I just couldn't pass up the chance to collect some materia before I returned to Wutai…"

"Reno actually _let_ you onboard the Shin-Ra 09?" Reeve grunted, his hands tightening into fists.

"No, no!" Yuffie protested. "He had no choice… I blackmailed him into bringing me. It wasn't his fault!" Her eyes were brimming with tears, but she kept on going. "We…bonded on the way to Arrington Island. I thought he might have called you to tell you about me, but I was wrong. He stuck with me the entire time.

"When we landed here on the way up, some crazy stalker attacked us and warned us about the Collapsed Reactor being dangerous," she continued, more softly now, gazing down at Reno with tear-clouded eyes. "Then I started having these premonitions about Reno dying. I should have told him sooner, but…by the time we reached the reactor and collected the materia—"

"You collected it?" Reeve interjected. "Where is it?"

Yuffie shook her head. "It's still in his pack," she replied. "I don't want to touch it." She leaned down and picked up Reno's backpack, sliding it over to Reeve. Rude leaned down and picked it up, slinging it over his shoulder. "After we collected the materia, a Mako Zombie was awakened. Reno seemed entranced ever since he laid his eyes on it…then, after it fired a Mako beam at us and nearly swallowed the whole cave, he's been…like this," she motioned to Reno's shell, wiping her damp cheeks. "A doll." She sniffed and raised her eyes back to Reeve. "We must have released more Mako Zombies…I remember seeing little black spirits flying off into the sky…"

Reeve nodded. "They keep coming," he explained. "The little bastards are possessing every piece of materia they can get their hands on…turning it black and rendering it useless. It's like a disease for materia…and we have reason to believe it could spread to humans if it's not contained."

Yuffie gasped. She hadn't heard this news yet… "Could that be…what happened to Reno?" she asked, more to herself than to anyone in the room.

Reeve sighed. "I don't know," he replied stoically. "That's why we need to keep this materia from being contaminated. Where is Reno's helicopter?"

Yuffie sank into the seat beside Reno's bedside. "It's still on Arrington Island," Yuffie replied. "Kris took us here in his helicopter."

Reeve turned and whispered something to Rude, who gave a nod and left the room, escorting the doctor out as well. Reeve walked slowly toward where Yuffie sat, pulling up a seat in front of her. "Yuffie," he said in a deep sigh. "You have obviously made a good connection with Reno over the past week. Otherwise, I don't think something like this would upset you enough to make you cry."

Yuffie nodded in agreement. Although Reno probably didn't want her to say, she really did care for him. He had opened up to her. He said himself that she was the only person that new everything about him… That fact alone made her attempt to save him so worthwhile.

Reeve cleared his throat and continued. "I want you to stay here," he said sternly. "I want you to watch over Reno, help him recover. You're a part of his life now. Can you handle this task?"

Yuffie choked back all her tears and looked hard at the executive before her. She nodded just once, her lilac eyes never leaving his. "I promise he'll recover, Reeve," she replied, her voice now even and strong. "I swear on my life."

Reeve stood, taking the small woman up as well. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, heaving a sigh over her shoulder. "You don't have to swear on anything," he said softly, pulling away so that his hands were resting on her shoulder. "I know he'll come back to us." With a soft pat of her shoulder, Reeve turned and headed for the door, giving one last glance over his shoulder at Reno before saying a silent prayer and exiting, closing the door behind.

* * *

"_This just in: Several eyewitnesses have reported several small, black, spirit-like creatures possessing mass stocks of materia and depleting them of their abilities. Materia sellers all around the globe have been complaining that their supply has been vandalized by terrorists, and are blaming the recovering 'Shin-Ra,' fresh off their collaboration with the W.R.O., for the horrid event._"

The screen flashed to an image of President Rufus, struggling against a crowd of reporters and journalists. "_Mr. President! How do you explain this 'Materia Takeover' happening around the world?_"

Rufus stopped moving to answer a few questions. "_All I have to say is that I have no idea as to the origin of this problem. W.R.O. executives have been sent to all corners of the world to research the happenings, and no branch of Shin-Ra or the World Restoration Organization has any connection with the takeover. No spills, no accidents. Nothing._"

"_Mr. President, only six years ago, a similar cultic event such as this occurred. Do you believe there is any connection?_"

"_We have no reason yet to believe that Geostigma Syndrome has returned. We want to assure citizens that their lives are in no way jeopardized by this incident._"

Rufus was suddenly swept away by two Turks. Tseng and Elena appeared in his place, holding back the crowd as they pushed and shouted. "_That is all the president has time for,_" Tseng announced. "_All other questions must be held off until our press conference on Tuesday. Thank you for--_"

Yuffie clicked off the television and slid the remote onto the nightstand beside her, heaving a deep, weary sigh. She let her eyes trail over to where Reno lay, her heart wrenching upon realizing that he hadn't changed one bit since the last time she looked at him. Not a muscle had moved, not a limb had changed position. His chest barely moved with each of his gasping, automated breaths. She'd never seen someone so helpless before…not even a newborn child was as vulnerable as Reno seemed just then.

Yuffie reached out her hand and slipped it around Reno's cold, motionless one, stroking her thumb over his white knuckles softly. She stood suddenly, kicking down the useless bed bar that enclosed him. Her hand still locked in his, Yuffie slid onto the bed silently and swiftly, letting her head fall onto the pillow. She stared at Reno's stiff face and brought her free hand up to it, stroking down his cheek as her grip tightened around his palm. "Reno," she whispered, her nose grazing his own. "Come back to me…"

She touched her lips to his and breathed deeply into him, feeling a darkness overshadow her and his hand slipping from her grasp…

* * *

**AN: **Poor, poor Reno…what will become of him in this comatose sate? Keep reading and reviewing to find out. Next chapter will include Reno's crazy dream sequences, along with a visit from the story's renowned crazy-pirate-man…chyahaha! Thanks for all your support. 


	12. Mother?

**AN: **Wow…halfway to my next goal! I'm so happy that you guys are enjoying yourself. It's awesome to see so many new people reviewing, and then seeing how many people have reviewed since the very first chapter. I'm ecstatic! Thanks a lot…but enough of the mushy thanks. Onto chapter twelve!

* * *

"_Reno…Reno, wake up my child. Wake up and walk with me..._"

Reno felt a coldness against his forehead, causing him to flinch downward. His heavy eyelids refused to open at first, his fingers scrunching into fist as he felt a chill on his face once more.

"_Come, my sweet child. It's been too long since last we were together…_"

Reno felt his eyelids part just a bit, squinting through the darkness. Only a dim figure was outlined in the black room surrounding him. "M-M-Mother?" he sputtered, his voice faltering as he spoke for what seemed like the first time in years.

"_There is my sweet child… Come with me. Walk with me. Talk with me. I have missed you so much. Your brothers and sisters have been longing to see you once more._"

Reno's eyes parted all the way, but he couldn't make out the figure standing above him in the darkness of the room he lay in. He felt the coldness slide off of his forehead, and the figure turned its back to him.

"Wait, Mother!" he called, struggling to his feet as the figure started off toward a small light in the distance,

"_Reno, follow me. There is light at the end of this blackness._"

He obediently followed the one he called Mother, smiling as her beautiful form was outlined by the growing light in the beyond. He upped his gait to reach her, reaching out to take her hand, as an innocent child would do. Her long silver hair grew in straight locks all the way down her back where graceful feathered wings spread out, her white dress accenting the ghostly hue of her skin. One of her big, friendly eyes was searing blue, while the other gleamed the brightest white imaginable. Her hand was cold, yes, but it held his firmly with guidance and care.

It was only moments before they stepped into the open, nearly blinding Reno with pure whiteness. There was almost no dimension to his surroundings, just whiteness stretching on for miles and miles… Reno turned and looked up at the woman beside him, a smile touching his face. "Mother, where are we going?" he asked quietly.

"You'll see, my sweet…" her voice seemed to echo through this barren land, causing Reno to look about as her words were emitted. It was then that he noticed a pedestal rising in the distance, causing his mother to slow down in her step once they reached arm's length of it. Was that really there before?

"What is that?" Reno inquired, pointing to the pillar before him. Mother just smiled and waved her slender arm in its direction, causing a black smoke to plume out from the top of it. Upon it appeared a piece of glowing violet materia, looking strikingly similar to the piece he'd collected at—

"The Occult Materia," Mother spoke, lifting it from its pedestal carefully. "It is like no other piece of Mako-born magic in the universe… And we can use it, Reno. We can use it if we really want to."

Reno looked innocently up at his mother. "But I don't understand, Mother…" he said softly. "Why would we want to use it?"

A sinister smile crawled onto Mother's face. "Revenge, sweet child. Revenge on the planet. All we need is the will of your brothers and sisters. All we need is enough of their power to control the materia…then we can take back what belongs to us."

Reno looked utterly confused. Why was his peaceful mother thinking of taking revenge on the planet? "Mother…I don't—"

"Hush, child. Say no more!" Mother ordered. She clutched the delicate materia in her hand and held it upward, causing the whiteness surrounding them to fade…fade into black again…

But she stopped suddenly, her multi-colored eyes darting from left to right.

"_Reno…_" came a familiar voice from not far off. "_Come back to me…_"

Reno let go of his mother's hand and turned around slowly, just in time to see the limp body of his companion materializing on the ground before him.

"Yuffie?"

* * *

"It's no good, she won't respond!"

"Check her heart rate and vitals! Where is Dr. Harem?"

"I just paged her, she's on her way."

Several nurses huddled around the bed of Reno Bellanger, trying to wake Yuffie from her sleep. She would not respond…just like Reno.

"What's going on in here?" came the worried voice of Dr. Harem.

"She seems to be in a comatose state," one nurse declared.

"Her heart rate is steady, but she won't wake up or respond to any physical contact."

Dr. Harem pushed past the slough of nurses and looked down at the couple lying atop the hospital bed, curled close to one another peacefully, almost as though they were simply asleep all along. "How is this possible…?" the doctor wondered aloud. "This is incredible."

"What should we do?" another nurse piped in.

Dr. Harem shook her head. "There's nothing we can do. Mako Poison comas are volatile conditions. It's possible she is visiting him in his dreams… We should wait this out and see what happens."

A nurse suddenly gasped. "Did you see that?" she sputtered, covering her mouth as she pointed to Reno. His lips twitched gently.

"_Yuffie_…"

* * *

Reno cradled the woman against him, touching her cheek gently with his cold hands until he felt her start to move. "Yuffie, it's really you…"

She stirred and opened her eyes, gazing up at Reno until she gained full control of her body. "Yes…it's me. I came to bring you back." She sat up straight and stood on wobbly feet, taking Reno up with her.

"But I don't want to go back. Mother is here. I want to stay with her."

Yuffie peered over Reno's shoulder, her eyes widening upon seeing the still figure standing behind him. "Mother!" she shrieked, backing away from Reno. "How could you say that thing is your _Mother?_"

Reno turned to look at the angel of a person standing quiet and still. "She…she is—"

"That _thing,_" Yuffie sputtered, pointing her finger, "is Jenova! The very same Jenova that has come so close to destroying the planet _three times_! The _same _Jenova whose fucking _neck _was the cause for another near-destruction incident! The same Jenova whose cells torment Cloud, Vincent…and _you_! If this is what you want to call a motherly figure, I would seriously re-think your reasoning, Reno."

Jenova hissed and took a step closer to them. "Shut your mouth, woman! Reno is my child!"

Yuffie scoffed and stared down the illusory form of Jenova that stood before her. "Your _children_ are the little black spirits possessing all of _my _materia and turning it into a bunch of worthless shit!"

"Black spirits…?" Reno repeated. "Mako Zombies have been released?" Yuffie nodded her head, making Reno turn to face his mother with a confused look on his face. "Is it true, Mother? Are my brothers and sisters causing this crisis?"

Jenova gave another hiss. "It's true, my child. It's all part of the plot of revenge I have in store for you…" she stepped forward again, causing Yuffie to reach out and pull Reno backward away from the approaching demon. "With each sphere of materia that my children take over, I become more bodily…more human than ever before. Once enough materia has been converted, my cells can be reunited into a sentinel form, and I can return to finish the job my Meteor began so many years ago… But the process is almost impossible to complete without possessing each of the Occult Materia... There is not enough materia on this planet to suffice without their mighty power."

Reno's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't…"

Jenova took the illusory materia in her hand and held it up again. "I would…but not without you, my child. Come with me. I will make you as strong as my Sephiroth. I will keep you by my side as the world crumbles beneath our feet…"

Yuffie stepped forth, her eyes on fire with disgust and hatred. "You lie!" she spat. "You would just as easily slay him on the spot than take him under your wings…your broken, dirty, blood-stained wings!"

"Shut up, wretch!" Jenova hissed, her voice deepening into a sinister growl. The world around them began to sink into darkness again, and Jenova's appearance morphed with it. Her skin turned a deathly shade of dark blue, her dress melding with her body to form a fleshy pink and blue covering. Her hair stained itself a gray hue while the materia in her hand became slowly infused with a dark, swirling glow.

"Stop it…!" Reno moaned. His ears began to ring, causing him to clap his hands over his ears and double over in pain. "Stop that noise…leave me alone! All of you!"

"Reno!" Yuffie called over the high-pitched screams of the spirits being summoned. "Reno, you have to fight this! Fight back! Don't let her take you!"

But Reno just cried out and pushed harder on his ears, trying to block the steady whirr that plagued his hearing. "Go away!"

Jenova's laughter joined with the black storm, her new materia now fully infused. "It's not too late to join me, children. Just take my hand and all will be fixed!"

Yuffie embraced Reno and buried herself into him as he struggled in his mind. "Never!" she shouted. "I have too much to live for!"

"I didn't want to be the one to say I told you so…"

Yuffie closed her eyes and hugged Reno closer, all of the sounds drowning in her ears as a light washed over her.

Her eyes parted to meet the steady face of Reno lying beside her, still in his eternal sleep. She felt around frantically for his hand and gripped it tightly in her own, holding back her sobs as she buried her face into his shoulder. "Just come back to me, Reno! I beg you! Don't let her take you away from me…!"

"You were foolish, Child."

Yuffie's eyes shot open and she sat up straight, her eyes trailing through the moonlit room. "Who's there?" she hissed into the darkness. "Show yourself!" She carefully reached under the hem of the Turkish pants she wore, feeling for one of her throwing stars.

A dry laughter was emitted from the corner of the room, and footsteps were heard soon after. None other than Maggit himself emerged from the shadows, his little beady eye glowing in moonlight. "Foolish…foolish…this is where it has landed you. Alone. Shattered. Heartbroken. You are alive; he is all but dead. You should have listened to Maggit. You should have listened…"

Yuffie wrapped her fingers around her throwing star tightly. "Shut up, old man…" she grumbled, not making eye contact as she shuddered angrily. "'I told you so' are not the words I want to hear right now… Especially not from the likes of you."

"Twice, I warned you," Maggit cut it, stepping forward again. "Why don't you just die and save yourselves from the Next Coming? Mother will not spare you both…"

"I said…" Yuffie growled, "Shut UP!" She ripped the star from her belt and launched it at the old man. She heard it meet skin and pierce it, but when she looked up, Yuffie was taken aback. Maggit had caught in his hand, the star lodged deep into his palm, half of the blades sticking out through the back of hand.

"It doesn't matter," the crazy stalker muttered, letting his hand fall down to his side. "Your end will be the same. The only difference is that Mother has chosen me as her vessel this time…she will destroy you herself."

"Just leave us alone!" Yuffie cried, vaulting off of the bed and springing toward him. She brought her foot up and swung it around to meet with the old man's head, but he dodged it and stumbled backward to the windowsill. Yuffie charged again and kicked straight up, knocking into his windpipe skillfully. She pressed him up against the window with the heel of her boot and stared at him. "Just…leave us alone. Let me be alone with him…please…" she begged, her eyes welling up with tears again. Maggit choked underneath her boot heel as he struggled to breathe.

Just then, she heard footsteps rattling down the hallway outside. She wheeled toward the door and removed her foot from Maggit's throat as it burst open, revealing an army of nurses fronted by Reeve and Rude. "She's awake!" a nurse exclaimed, pointing a finger at Yuffie.

"What's going on in here?" Reeve snapped, hurrying to Reno's bedside. He gripped the bed bar and looked up at Yuffie, his narrowed eyes trailing from her face to the blood on the floor. "Explain!"

"Jenova!" she sobbed through tears of disbelief. "She was there…tormenting Reno…seducing him, deceiving him… Right before my eyes! She had the Occult Materia in her hand, Reeve! She was going to use it to summon herself back to human form!"

Reeve hurried toward the trembling girl and gripped her shoulders firmly as the nurses rushed to check Reno's vitals. "Get a hold of yourself, Yuffie!" he growled. "What about Jenova? Where was she, how did she get our materia?"

Yuffie's sobs made her body convulse. "I-I-In the dream," she stammered. "She was in our dream…Reno was there. He was so innocent… He was calling her Mother…" Yuffie clenched her chattering teeth and gazed up at Reeve. "Was Reno…_injected_?" she asked in a near whisper, as if the words were forbidden on her lips.

Reeve bit his lip. "Yes," he said simply, letting his hands slid off of Yuffie's shoulders. "Come with me, Yuffie. There are things about Reno that I think you should know." He led the unstable woman out of the room briskly and left the nurses to their jobs. Yuffie looked concentrated, as if she were bracing herself for the oncoming information. Reeve took a very deep breath and slowed his walking pace, starting the story in a whimsical tone.

"Have you ever wondered how Reno acquired those scars beneath his eyes?" he asked, looking down at Yuffie with a curious look on his face.

She just shook her head and sniffed. "I never really thought to ask. I guess it just didn't seem important…"

Reeve sighed. "Important is not the word…more like…explanatory. Behind those scars lay almost all of Reno's story. I guess he must have pretty seemed rough and tough to you on the outside, huh?" the chuckle that Reeve gave seemed to comfort Yuffie just a little bit.

"After seeing his kittens and his skills on the piano…not so much," she admitted.

Reeve nodded. "Reno always had a soft spot for cats. Did you know he lived in a mansion growing up?" Yuffie's eyebrow cocked, as if to say 'you're kidding!' Reeve gave another laugh. "Yeah…he had the nicest house on the block…on the upper plate of Sector 3. His mother worked in my department. Urban Development. She was actually my mentor for several years before she became pregnant with her second child. Reno was already 8 by then…"

Yuffie looked up at Reeve as he spoke, her arms crossed in front of her. "Just out of curiosity…" she mumbled. "How old _is _Reno? And how old does that make you?"

"Well, I'm 38," he laughed. "But Reno never told you his age?" he sounded kind of surprised. "26 as of January. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Yuffie muttered, keeping the number in the back of her mind…he did seem much older than that…

"Anyway…Reno's mother, Claire, and his father, Julian, were very high in social status. I had heard that they had actually dined with President Shin-Ra on several occasions…in fact, that is where they were headed on the night Reno received his scars."

Yuffie stared at the ground before her, trying to picture what Reeve said in her mind as he continued the story.

"Claire was already eight months pregnant with their second child now…their daughter Io. She was taking the whole family to meet the President that night, even little ten-year-old Reno. He was really excited about it. I remember him telling me about it later…" Reeve paused and took another deep breath before continuing on. "The streets up to the Shin-Ra Headquarters were always treacherous…especially at night. But Claire and I had never run into the problem, as we worked during daytime hours. Although the walk was short, the streets were narrow and never as friendly as the Bellangers' neighborhood. On the very last corner, right before they rounded the bend to the Shin-Ra Building, a group of gangers surrounded the rich, fancily dressed family. Their first intention was to rob them, of course, and that wasn't an issue…it was when they laid eyes on Reno that things got out of control. The family was tied up and pushed into an alleyway where all hell broke loose."

A million things ran through Yuffie's mind as Reeve spoke. What had they done to Reno? There were too many answers…she decided to let Reeve finish.

"The gang was looking for recruits, and Reno was like fresh meat to them. First, they made him watch as they beat and murdered his father before his eyes…" Yuffie flinched at the words. "Then, they carefully carved Claire's child from her womb." A gasp spilled from her mouth at this. "Then, after killing his mother and keeping the baby for themselves, they moved to finish Reno's initiation. Two deep, curved scars were etched into the side of his face, covering his cheeks in fresh red blood and leaving him permanently marked for life…"

"How did he get away?" Yuffie cut in, her eyes now wide in disbelief.

"He didn't," Reeve said sadly. "He became part of the nameless gang, under threats of rape and more bodily torture. Within two years, he was hooked on Mako and muled drugs voluntarily in and out of Midgar. That's when Shin-Ra discovered him…during a drug run gone bad, Reno was the only one left standing after the Turks were through with the gang. The brought him back to the headquarters and put him into the private rehabilitation center stationed there. Sensing great potential, the Turks took him in and trained him, but not without first receiving a couple of shots from Hojo as a 'vaccination.' Of course, it was really his twisted experiment in the works. Thankfully, Reno was the only Turk to have been injected, and his vaccinations did not extend as far as most of his test subjects. That was probably why Reno was not affected by Geostigma or felt the motherly connection to Jenova while he was extracting it from the Northern Crater."

Yuffie stopped and leaned against the wall beside her, tilting her head backward a bit. "It all makes sense now," Yuffie whispered, more to herself than to Reeve. "After that huge dosage of pure Mako he was exposed to on Arrington Island, his coma-induced mind revealed Jenova in her purest form. Her motherly form. She was trying to persuade Reno into the same ploy that Sephiroth fell victim to the first time around. But…I don't know if she succeeded. When I left the dream world, Reno was still struggling…"

"We'll just have to wait and see," Reeve sighed. "Reno is strong. He'll know how to fight back…"

Yuffie was in the middle of a nod of agreement when a nurse dashed out into the hall. "Mr. Tuesti!" she called. "We have trouble!"

* * *

**AN: **I just cannot resist these cliffhangers! And well…that chapter was getting a bit too long. I hope it's all starting to make sense now. If not, you can feel free to message me and I'll clear some stuff up. I love the suspense! Keep on reading and reviewing, my dedicated fans. Expect faster updates from now on. I've just been rather busy these days! 


	13. Yours for Tonight

**AN: **Wow! Tons of new reviewers! This is great, guys. I'll be to 100 reviews in no time! Thanks for putting up with all my cliffhangage. It'll all pay off in the end, don't you worry. Keep an eye out for more Reno-on-Yuffie action this chapter. I feel the need to input more of the romance aspect, as the drama and suspense seem to be overpowering the initial pairing. But enough preview, onto the chapter!

* * *

"_Shit!_" Reeve broke into a sprint as he dashed for Reno's room, Yuffie nipping at his heels. When she swung into the doorway, Yuffie was met with several sights and sounds. The erratic beeping of machinery, nurses bustling and shouting directions… She couldn't get a straight look at Reno from behind Reeve and Rude, and the all the nurses weaving about.

"His heart rate is out of control; his temperature is through the roof!"

"Shit…he's starting to convulse! Someone get a steady on him! We're going to need to inject!"

Yuffie pushed her way to Reno's bedside upon hearing these words. "What are you doing?" she demanded, watching as the nurses struggled to hold down a convulsing Reno. His limbs shook erratically and his head jerked with every fit. A nurse suddenly returned to the group, pulling on Reno's I.V. line where she readied a syringe for injection. "Stop it!" Yuffie called. "Don't sedate him, please!"

"We have no choice," said another nurse. "He's going to have an aneurysm!"

"RENO!" Yuffie cried out one last time as the nurse's finger touched the needle's edge…but before the liquid left the syringe, Reno's heartbeat measure leveled to nothingness. Yuffie nearly fainted at the sound of the steady whirr…and just what it meant. The nurses all changed positions immediately, dropping the needle and shouting more orders. Yuffie was pushed back out toward where the two W.R.O. men stood, turning to face Reeve with tears welling in her eyes. "_Damn him!_" she called out, wrapping herself in Reeve's arms.

"Defibrillator!" the nurses shouted, bringing out a small box from the corner of the room. Within seconds it was set up and charging. A nurse ripped the top of Reno's apron while another readied the defibrillator for shock. "Clear!" she shouted.

The pads were inches from Reno's bare chest when his eyes parted widely, revealing his glowing blue eyes as they flicked frantically around the room. The nurses backed away as he sat up with a start, taking what seemed liked his first breath in years. His chest heaved as he ripped the wiring from his face, pulling his I.V. straight from within his arm. He felt no pain…only relief. Relief to be alive and breathing. And out of that fucking nightmare.

"Yuffie…" he murmured as his gaze panned the sea of slack-jawed nurses. "Where is Yuffie…?"

The small girl untangled herself from Reeve's arms at the sound of Reno's voice, slowly making her way to his bedside. "You're back…" she sobbed, gazing into his Mako-infused eyes. "You made it…you fought back. I'm so proud of you…"

Reno leaped out of bed and straight into Yuffie's arms, cradling the woman in his grasp for what seemed like an eternity. He only pulled away when he saw his partner and his boss standing behind them, their faces filled with relief. "Reeve…" he whispered, "…Rude. I-I-I…"

Reeve held up his hand. "Don't say anything," he ordered. "Yuffie told me everything. The important thing is you're safe and back with us. That's all that matters."

Reno gave a nod of understanding and let his eyes trail toward Rude. "Partner…" he gasped before taking the tall man into a manly embrace.

Rude gave him a pat on the shoulder as he pulled back and smiled. "Welcome back, yo."

Reno smiled at his teasing choice of words. He turned to face Yuffie now, his face filled with a certain seriousness. "You saved me," he said in a deep sigh. "I almost gave in…but you never gave up. I don't know what to—"

"Don't say a fucking word," she gasped through her tears, "you asshole."

* * *

Reeve, Reno and Rude all sat around a small table in the empty clinic lobby, sipping on coffee silently. Yuffie was in a separate room, receiving a through exam from Dr. Harem. Reno had already gone through the check. Dr. Harem had insisted on examining both of them for any signs of permanent damage from the Mako-induced coma that was so suddenly lifted. Reno had checked out fine; they were just waiting on Yuffie's results.

Reeve cleared his throat and placed his coffee cup down onto its saucer, looking back and forth from Reno to Rude. He finally let his gaze setting upon Reno, his dark eyes blinking slowly as he stared down the calm fellow. "Reno…" he began, his voice still a bit tremulous from the happenings of that night.

"Yeah, boss?" Reno replied coolly, trying to act as though nothing had ever happened.

"I don't want you assigned to this case any more. You're to take Miss Kisaragi back to Wutai and return hom."

Reno nearly spit out the coffee in his mouth. "Are you kidding me?" he exclaimed, his blue eyes wide.

"There is no way I would ever ask you to put yourself in that kind of danger again," Reeve explained. "Rude and Tseng will take over the job from here."

"You_ have got_ to be kidding me." Reno gasped.

Reeve just shook his head. "I don't understand why you want to continue with this case so badly, after you fought so hard to avoid it initially."

Reno's grip on his coffee cup tightened, so much so that his knuckles turned white. What was he going to say to that? Things were different now. He had Yuffie. She'd changed a lot of things for him throughout this whole experience… She had really opened his eyes and made him see things more clearly. And well…she had saved his life, after all. "Well where the hell am I going to go?" Reno demanded, trying to change that subject.

"I don't know," Reeve grumbled. "Stay in Wutai with Yuffie, take a vacation at Costa del Sol, party at the Gold Saucer. Hell! You could even stay in Edge and just drink your whole life away. But I don't want you on this case, and that's final."

Reno bit his lip, his eyes locked onto his superior's dark ones, alight with a fire of hatred. He opened his mouth to curse the man out, but stopped as he heard a door opening behind him. Yuffie strode out of the examination room, still dressed in the Turk's uniform he'd given her. She looked a bit nervous, but she just smiled as Dr. Harem led her over to the table they gathered around. "Everything checks out," she said with a sigh of relief. "Both of you are free to go. I will say this however; that was the most bizarre case of Mako Poisoning I have ever seen. If I were you two, I'd be very cautious in the near future. No rigorous work and relaxation would be the best choice as of right now."

Reeve continued to stare at Reno. "That won't be a problem, Doctor."

* * *

Yuffie was silent. Her head touched the passenger side window of the Angel, her eyes panning out over the dark horizon and black-blue sea that spread for miles ahead of them. She couldn't believe Reeve had taken Reno off the case and made him take her back to Wutai. What a waste of time! She felt like there was still something missing. Like they had to go back and fix everything they had messed up for the world.

Suddenly, Yuffie sat up and looked over at Reno. "You know what?" she muttered. "Drop me off in Costa del Sol."

Reno slowed down the Angel's speed a bit, almost so that they were hovering. "What? That means changing our whole direction. Why Costa del Sol?"

Yuffie shrugged. "No reason…I just haven't been there in a while, that's all. I can make it back to Wutai on my own, I'm a big girl."

Reno raised an eyebrow, but he jus shook his head and turned the helicopter around, heading for Costa del Sol. "I don't know," Reno murmured, "it's the rainy season there. I have no clue why you'd want to visit the beach now…" He knew something was up, but he wasn't quite sure. He figured, for once he should just trust the girl. It wasn't like she had any materia to steal…Reeve had taken the crate filled with Occult Materia back to the W.R.O. headquarters to be studied.

The trip to Costa del Sol was shorter than it would have taken to get to Wutai, so Reno was glad for that. He radioed into the helipad station there so that he could avoid dropping her off on the plains.

And Reno was right, it was raining cats and dogs by the time the reached the helipad. He touched down with direction from the orange-clad fellow standing on the concrete. After landing it safely and down the machine, Reno stared at Yuffie with doubt in his eyes. "Um…I'll go with you, just to make sure you get a room."

Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "Are you _trying_ to hit on me?" she said in a light chuckle. "I'll be fine, Reno. Just…go and relax somewhere. I've been enough burden for a while."

Reno shook his head. "I insist," he said. "I don't want you out in the rain if there's no rooms open."

Yuffie just rolled her eyes as she opened the passenger door. "Whatever. But you have the carry my bags," she laughed, jumping out into the rainstorm. Reno grabbed her light bags and pulled his jacket up over his head as he followed Yuffie's dashing form into the heart of the city. She skidded into the first inn she came upon, holding the door for Reno to slip in after her. After shaking off the rain from their clothes, Yuffie led the way up to the counter and immediately asked for a single room. After handing over some gil, the attendant handed her a key. She wasted no time speeding up the stairs to the second floor where her room awaited her.

Reno dropped her bags by the door of her room, heaving an awkward sigh as she unlocked the door and slid her bags inside. She turned and looked at the redhead with a timid expression on her face, sighing in a similar way that Reno had. "Um…" he muttered. "I'm not too good at this…but thanks, Reno. You really have been great to me up to this point. I didn't think you'd bring me as far as you did… I really appreciate all the care and respect you've shown me."

Reno just smirked. "I thought that was pretty good," he remarked. "And you're welcome. You can just call us even."

Yuffie returned the smile and gazed up into his glowing eyes, his form accentuated by the light pouring into the hallway from the big windows on the opposite wall. "I guess…I guess this is goodbye," she sighed, taking a step forward.

"I guess so," Reno moved inward as well, approaching leaning toward her slowly. He was initially moving for a kiss, but he wimped out at the last moment and just embraced her, his hands tightening into fists on her back. _'You pussy!'_ his mind shouted at him. _'What ever happened to your confidence, Reno…?'_

Pulling back, Reno immediately turned on his heel and glided down the hallway without another word to Yuffie…just like the asshole he was.

* * *

Yuffie stepped out of the shower, almost reluctantly, grabbing a towel to pat herself dry with. After toweling her hair and body as dry as she could in the moist room, she rummaged around in her bag until she found the underwear she was looking for, sliding them on over her damp legs and arms. She began to take out a new outfit to wear, but she really didn't see the point in sleeping in good clothes, so she just grabbed the old button up Reno had given her and slid it on over her undergarments, buttoning only the middle three clasps. She had begun to towel her hair again when she heard a knock at the door. Who was visiting at this time of night…? Had she kept a neighboring visitor up?

Sliding out of the bathroom, Yuffie walked up to the door and peered out of the peephole. It must have been broken or something, because all she saw was black. She figured it was no one with malicious intent, and so she unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door as far as the chain would let her, almost stumbling back at the sight.

"Reno?" she gasped, sliding the chain off to open the door farther. "What the hell are you doing back here? Didn't I tell you to leave already?"

Reno swallowed hard as he looked at the beautiful woman standing in the doorway with nothing but a white shirt clinging to her all but naked body. He let his eyes trail over her quickly, and finally raised his eyes to hers and started muttering, "I was sitting in the Angel thinking about it for a while, and I decided that it wasn't right to just leave you hear so I decided to come back and ask if I could stay and take you to Wutai in the morning, but I'm kind of regretting it now so I think I'll just turn around and—"

Reno stopped talking as he felt Yuffie's warm hand meet his moving lips. He blinked for a long while until she let her hand drop, his eyes following it as it lay at rest on her gently curving hip. "Oh, just shut up and kiss me already."

Reno's eyes went wide, but his mind would not let him neglect this chance and gladly accepted the command. He dipped down skillfully and pressed his mouth to hers, taking small steps forward until they were both over the threshold again. Yuffie, in a bit of a daze from the sudden heated moment, felt around and slammed the door shut, pressing her back up against the wall as Reno continued to force her backward. She curled her hands up around his neck, entangling her fingers in his hair. She felt him move his own hands up to her elbows however, pushing her arms back so that they lay pressed against the wall above her head. He moved his lips downward to the corner of her jaw, kissing down along her neck until he met her collarbone. His fingers passed through the first of the buttons on her shirt and let his hands explore the soft dampness of her body beneath the shirt. Her arms fell down again and she gripped the sides of his neck, quickly dragging him back up to her lips as she pushed him backward this time, stumbling toward the bed in the corner of the room.

Reno grunted as he felt Yuffie come down on top of him, her legs enclosing his hips as her moist body pressed against his, letting his hands rest on her hips while she locked him in the most passionate kiss he'd ever experienced. He couldn't believe this was happening! He was lying there, lip-locked with a feisty ninja, and _she_ was so gladly taking the initiative. It was a dream come true.

His hands fumbled with the rest of the buttons of her shirt and let his fingertips glide along her glistening skin until he felt the clasp of her bra beneath the wet material. Reno decided to save that for later, leaving the claps as it lay to let his hands dance over the smooth skin of her hips and bottom. Reno smiled against her lips as she parted her mouth to receive him further. He accepted gratefully and slipped his tongue inside, his eyes falling closed now. Reno suddenly gripped the her sides tightly in his hands and rolled the petite girl over so that he lay atop her, holding his torso up with his strong arms. After situating himself between her, he quickly removed his soggy jacket and tossed it into the corner of the room. He gazed down at the woman beneath him, her chest now heaving as she grabbed at his arms.

Reno smirked with the greatest amusement, shifting downward as he leaned forward so that his lips met with the flat part of her chest. His mouth first grazed over her collarbone, then he bared his teeth and took a quick nip at the soft flesh, getting a little gasp from Yuffie. He smirked against her skin and kissed the spot her had bitten, now continuing his trail of kisses down into the soft curve of her cleavage, his hands pushing the shirt off of her arms as she arched her body up toward his, fitting itself perfectly into him. His palm cupped the small of her back as it lifted off the bed.

Reno's fingers again touched the clasp of her bra, and this time, he did not hesitate. As Yuffie occupied herself with removing his shirt, Reno released the clasp and let it snap open, straightening out his arms as Yuffie too, finished unbuttoning his shirt. His eyes fluttered closed as she slid the garment down his arms, shivering at the feel of her warm hands touching the muscles of his chest.

He leaned himself closer to her, his lips brushing against her ear as his hands gently tugged at the straps of her bra. "Can I have you?" he whispered ardently, his words making her shiver with delight. "Just for tonight?"

Reno felt Yuffie stiffen for a moment as her hands curled up around his back, stroking up the tight physique of his shoulders. She kissed the edge of his ear and smiled, pulling back just in time to whisper out, "I'm yours."

* * *

**AN: **'Nother long chappy. I just had to put that in there, guys…sorry! If you have a problem with the above scene, please don't flame me in a review. I'd rather you message me and we can talk about it civilly. Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing! Your patience and dedication mean a lot to me. Keep on reading! Much love.

Note: Elaboration on the whole abrupt-stopping-dream will occur in the next chapter. I would have included it here, but I know it wouldn't have fit it if I had. Welp, until next chapter!


	14. Trust Falls

**AN: **Wow, the reviews just keep pouring in. Keep it up, I'm so psyched that everyone's enjoying the story. It lets me know I'm not doing this for nothing! As promised, here's another quick update. Let me apologize for last chapter's horrible typing errors. I'll fix them soon. Thanks again!

* * *

Yuffie awoke rather tired, but she felt satisfied and content. A smile tugged at her lips as she rolled herself into the sheets, her mind reviewing every moment that had gone by since Reno entered her room. For some reason, his presence that night caught her off-guard. Honestly, she did not expect him to return, let alone not leave Costa del Sol at all. But she couldn't say she was unhappy with his choice.

Letting her eyes part to the morning, Yuffie stared at the empty spot on the pillow beside her. Her smile faded and she lifted her head, propping it up on her palm. Her gaze trailed upward until it met with the open sliding door across the way, seeing its shades billowing outward from a calm sea breeze. She glimpsed a bit of red from behind these blinds, causing her to smile widely once more and slowly climb out of bed. She tucked the sheet around her the short way, so as not to let the end drag and collect dirt. Yuffie strode toward the open slider and slipped out into the unhindered sunlight.

Reno stood against the balcony in just an unbuttoned shirt and his plaid boxers. _'At least they aren't hearts,' _was Yuffie's only thought as she came up beside him. He was smoking a cigarette, staring into the sunrise with his aviators on. She smiled and placed her hand over his. He didn't look down at her for a long while, and when he did, Yuffie had a hard time meeting his gaze. She swallowed hard and intertwined her fingers in his, wrapping her hand into a tight fist.

"This doesn't change anything between us…does it?" she inquired, trying to find his eyes behind the sunglasses. She didn't have time, however, as he just turned to look at the sunrise again and took a deep drag of his cigarette.

"What did it have to change?" he replied vaguely, letting his hand drape over the side of the railing. "We were strangers before…and I guess we still are."

Yuffie shook her head and moved closer. "That's not true," she protested. "Reno, you let me in. You were so sensitive and caring and open. Someone with those qualities is never a stranger."

Reno released her hand and Yuffie's heart sank… Did he just not want to be together anymore? It didn't seem like that at all last night.

"If we're not strangers…" he began, pulling his glasses up to his forehead and trailing his gaze to her, "then what are we?"

Yuffie thought about the question for a long time, her eyes shifting back and forth on his. She didn't know what to say to that… She could sense the indecision he felt, and it just made the question harder to answer…

"Lovers," she answered at last. Her voice was shaky, but she said it with a certain firmness. "We can be lovers. That's enough for me now. I just want someone that can get me through this nightmare."

Reno blinked and his brow knit at the response. To bear that sort of title was a big step. Of course, it was rare for Reno to even have a steady girlfriend, never mind a lover. But maybe it wasn't so bad… Yuffie was a girl that could keep up with him. She was energetic, fiery, sly, and…not to sound shallow, but she had an awesome body. She wasn't curvy and full, but not skinny and frail either. She was just right. Slender and feminine, yet still strong and athletic.

"Maybe I was wrong," he heard Yuffie say, almost frantically. "Maybe I shouldn't have gone this far. Maybe I shouldn't have even let you in last night! Was I just a quick, easy fuck for you, Reno? Is that why you never left Costa del Sol? Maybe you figured because you opened up so much, that you'd have a nice, easy time prying into me, huh? Well, you're wrong if you think that at all!"

Reno's cigarette fell out of his mouth. He tightened his fists at these accusing words. "What! How could you even think that?" he spat. "I gave you everything I had left in me last night. You've seen all of me, everything, inside and out! Do you really think I'd have to show you everything just to get an easy fuck out of you?"

Yuffie's teeth gritted and she crossed her arms in front of her. "'Just for tonight,'" she quoted, turning to lean against the railing. "I should have known you'd kick me to the curb once you had your fun."

"You're full of shit," Reno cursed, slamming his fist onto the railing. "The only reason I said that was because I thought _you'd_ be the one to put a stop to everything. I didn't know you wanted me so bad, though. You should have told me you wanted a relationship out of all this."

Yuffie suddenly turned to face him, upset by all of his rude comments. "I didn't know that last night!" she cried. "But after it all…when we were lying there together…I really thought that it was possible. I trusted you, Reno. I trusted you with me. Don't make me regret that decision."

"I thought it could work too. But you should never trust a Turk."

Yuffie clenched back her tears. "Can't we try?" she choked. "If you want it too, then just tell me!"

Reno shook his head. "I want it, Yuffie," he muttered, taking out another cigarette to light. "I want it really bad. But I can never have it. And…I don't think you understand why."

"Tell me!" she begged. "Tell me and I'll understand."

Reno shook his head again, breathing out a plume of smoke to carry off into the wind. "I…I can't."

"Please…Reno, just this last time. Let me in one more time. I—"

"Because!" Reno shouted, interrupting her pleas. "I don't want to lose you. I've already put you in enough danger… She'll…she won't… I just can't."

Yuffie's eyes went wide. "Reno, is there someone else? Why didn't you tell me, I—"

"There's no one else, Yuffie. No one except Jenova, tearing my insides apart…" Reno pulled his cigarette to his lips to keep from speaking anymore. He didn't want to tell her what had happened…how he'd escaped the dream world by no more than the skin of his teeth.

"She threatened you, didn't she," Yuffie concluded. "You don't want to put me in danger."

Reno ignored the statement and breathed out again, his eyes locked on the gently rolling waves on the coastline.

"Reno…I'm willing to take that chance. I don't care if you want to be lovers or acquaintances, but I won't fight this war without you. Jenova or no Jenova, I've outlived her once and I can do it again."

"You don't understand," Reno muttered into his cigarette. "There's no way you can stand up to Jenova in her bodily form. I have to do this on my own. I fucked up, and I have to fix it. You'll just get in the way."

"Oh, shut the hell up!" Yuffie yelled. "If anybody, it'll be _me_ saving your ass again. You don't have to protect me. I'm a grown woman, not a fragile little girl."

"It's your mind that she'll take first," Reno declared. "You could be the strongest person on the planet, and still fall at your knees before her. The only reason I got out of that dream was because I heard you calling me from the outside... But how can you call to me if you're dead?"

"Stop it!" Yuffie snapped. "Don't talk like that. I'm not going anywhere! And who knows that Jenova will even get that far? She needs the Occult Materia remember? Reeve has that."

Reno rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah…for how long before those Mako Zombies get at it?"

Yuffie smiled. "A while." She touched Reno's shoulder and turned to stride into the room again, snatching her pack off the nightstand. She reached inside and pulled out a glowing piece of red materia, balancing it on the tip of her fingers.

Reno made a grab for the materia, but she yanked it out of reach. "Where did you get that?" he choked.

"Back in Icicle Inn…when you first cracked open the crate."

Reno's eyes narrowed. "I should have known… Once a thief, always a thief."

"I didn't steal it…" Yuffie quipped. "I barrowed it. And besides, it's better this way. If a zombie attacks, we'll know how to fight it off. Not a bunch of white-coat lab rats with sticks up their asses. Now it's impossible for Jenova to get all of the Materia. How about that for a plan?"

* * *

"So remind me again where we're headed?" Yuffie muttered as she peered out over the desert rising in the distance. She could see the tall structure of the Gold Saucer growing like a little anthill below the helicopter.

"Gongoga," Reno stated, not taking his eyes off the sky.

"Why that dumpy town?" Yuffie complained. "All that's there is a bunch of old weapon dealers and widowed ladies."

Reno smirked a bit. "An old friend of mine lives there. She's a materia expert and I'm sure she can give us some more information on the sample you have."

"Hmph. Sounds fishy to me," Yuffie mumbled.

"Trust me, she knows what she's doing," Reno assured her. "She'll steer us in the right direction."

"Whatever you say…" Yuffie returned to watching the scenery go by, glimpsing the plateaus of Cosmo Canyon not far off. She thought of Red XIII and smiled, wondering how the cat was doing these days. Thinking of one of her old companions mad her think of them all, and this caused her smile to fade. Tifa, Cloud and Barret in Edge… Vincent in Nibelheim... Red in Cosmo Canyon… Cid in Rocket Town… And Reeve, locked away in the W.R.O. headquarters, researching five mysterious materia, one of which was a complete dud, placed there by Yuffie as a decoy to the one she'd taken.

'_I'll see them again someday,' _Yuffie thought as she leaned back in her seat, pondering her memories of the old AVALANCHE members. Perhaps the path she took with Reno would lead her back to one or two of them…then again, maybe that wasn't a good thing after all. She wasn't so sure her old ones would look very highly on her newfound friend. He was still a Turk, after all, and the Turks had once been their enemies. _'They'll just have to deal,'_ Yuffie concluded.

Just then, Reno pointed toward a forested area in the distance, surrounding a big heap of metal that was supposed to be Gongoga. The pilot brought his helicopter down in the plains east of the town, as close to its edge as he could. He powered down the machine and waited for the blades to stop spinning before exiting out the driver's side. Yuffie disembarked as well, her eyes following the piles of scrap metal to the ruined reactor in the distance, frowning at it all. "This place is a dump," she mumbled.

"It's not their fault a reactor blew up," Reno snapped, slinging his pack over his shoulder as he started down the path. "Just because the town is a little underdeveloped doesn't mean that it's a dump."

"It smells," was all Yuffie could come up with as she turned to follow Reno.

The further they trudged from the old reactor, the less it stunk, but Yuffie was still uncomfortable. She had gotten used to the slums in Edge, but Gongoga had a more natural slum appeal. The houses were made out of straw and old metal, like little huts. Still, Yuffie could tell there was much construction going on around town; there were W.R.O. signs everywhere marking unfinished buildings and structures going up.

Yuffie trotted up beside Reno and followed him closely as he winded around through the huts until he found the one he was looking for. "Weapon Shop," said the sign on the door. Hanging on the doorknob was a little card that read "closed," but Reno reached for it anyway.

"Reno, it's closed!" Yuffie hissed, hitting his shoulder. "Maybe we should just get out of here."

Reno rolled his eyes. "Relax, the owner knows me." He pushed open the door without hesitation and stepped inside. To Reno's surprise, the owner was still behind his desk, sitting on a stool with his head resting in his hands. He perked up at the unwanted visitors and grabbed a small sword lying atop the counter.

"Who's there?" he called. "We're closed, go away!"

Reno stepped out of the shadows and smiled at the weapon seller. "Relax, Griffin. It's me."

The seller quirked an eyebrow and placed the sword back on display. "Reno? Reno Bellanger? izat you?"

The redhead nodded and motioned for Yuffie to come in. "Sorry to bother you, Griff…but we need to see your grandmother."

"That old kook? What the hell for?" Griffin laughed.

"Eh, Shin-Ra business," Reno replied casually. "You know the deal…"

Griffin nodded. "No problem…ain't you gonna introduce me to your friend?" he asked as he took down the rope leading behind the counter.

Reno walked right over behind the counter, but Yuffie hesitated. "Oh," he chuckled. "That's Yuffie, Turk Trainee."

Yuffie frowned, but she didn't say anything and just gave a little wave the weapon seller as she passed behind the counter.

"Nice to meet yah, Miss Yuffie."

"Likewise…" she trailed off and waved again as Reno pulled her hand, leading the way toward a room that had been partially obscured by a beaded curtain, which he easily batted away. Slipping into the back room, Yuffie let her eyes pan around the weird place while Reno took a few steps forward. It looked like a big séance chamber, with velvet and bead curtains falling every which way, every wall decorated with some sort of weapon, materia, or accessory display. The air was thick with incense, and it made her eyes water a bit.

Yuffie yelped as she heard something whiz by her ear, causing her hair to flutter and her upper body sway. She spun to look at the wall, seeing a large dagger vibrating in the wall. She whirled again, this time glaring down her attacker, ripping at throwing star from he belt. An old, wrinkly, hunched woman stood before her, holding several daggers in one hand, all by the blade.

"Merri!" Reno called. "Watch it with those daggers, man!"

The old woman shot Reno a glance. "She's with you, eh?" she muttered, pointing a dagger at Yuffie.

"Yes!" Reno declared, taking a few steps toward the woman. "Now put those things down and relax."

Yuffie straightened her stance and re-tied the star to her belt.

"She looked suspicious," the crusty woman grumbled. "Got them stars on her belt 'n such…"

Reno sighed and turned back to Yuffie, motioning for her to come closer. "Merri, this is Yuffie Kisaragi. She's a friend of mind…from…work."

Yuffie walked up beside Reno and stood her ground, her eyes never leaving the daggers in the woman's hands.

"Yuffie, this is Meredith. She's the materia expert I was talking about."

"Damn right I am!" Merri stated. "What the hell'r you doin' here, Reno? And why you gotsta woman with yah?"

Reno smirked. "I'm guessing you've heard about that new materia that's been emerging, yeah?" he assumed. "The Occult Materia?"

Merri nodded as she sheathed all her daggers and placed them back on display beside her. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well…what if I told you I had a sample?"

Merri almost dropped the dagger she was sheathing. "_What_? You have a piece of that shit?"

Reno nodded. "I was assigned to collect the stuff and we were able to sneak a sample before the W.R.O. got the delivery."

"Aye, you bastard…" Merri muttered, shaking her head.

"What can you tell us about it?" Reno asked eagerly.

Merri just gave a huff. "I don't know shit about it other than each one has some special abilities. Haven't found out what those are yet, but…I'm workin' on it. Will yah let me see it?"

Yuffie watched as Reno unhesitatingly removed the materia from his pack and handed to Merri. She took it and began examining it closely, holding it so close to her face Yuffie thought the woman would blind herself. She began muttering and mumbling incoherently, turning it over and over in her hands and glaring into its swirling red clouds. "Hm…yeah…yes…uh huh… Wait here," Merri instructed, turning on her heel and disappearing behind a sea of curtains. Reno crossed his arms and tapped his foot as he waited, while Yuffie preoccupied herself with examining the daggers Merri had been sheathing. She gently rolled her fingers across the surface of the sheaths and touched each hilt… So familiar…

Her mind flashed back to a moment in the past, causing her to stumble back a bit after she returned to the present. Could it be…?

"AHA!" came Merri's excited voice. "I've found it!" Yuffie spun to face the woman as she dashed out from behind the curtains, holding two orbs in either of her hands; one was the Occult Summon Materia, and the other a black materia, possessed by a Mako Zombie. "This materia…the possessed kind… It has no ability and glows this black color, yes?"

Reno raised an eyebrow and nodded as she held up the black orb.

"But this kind…the Occult Materia, you call it. Its abilities are simple! Watch, my dears!" Merri held up the red orb beside the black one in her other palm and closed her eyes, waiting for several moments in silence. Suddenly, the Occult Materia began to glow brighter than it already did, its light seeping through Merri's fingers until it reached the black orb, engulfing it in a red glow. A soft whimper was emitted from the possessed materia, and suddenly, in a quick flash of red light, the blackness was gone. It disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, leaving pure, glowing magic materia in place of the possessed orb that had been in Merri's palm only moments before. Opening her eyes, the woman grinned wildly. "You see? This Materia has the power to purify other orbs around it. There is no danger in these Materias! They were formed as cleansing devices just for cases like these."

Reno was stunned for a moment, but he finally shook his head and took back the materia that Merri held. "So you're saying that we can repair all of the possessed materia with this?"

Merri nodded. "It'll take some time, but…if your employers have the rest of this materia, it is very possible."

"This is great! Yuffie, did you hear—" Reno spun toward Yuffie, but stopped in his rejoicing upon seeing her attention directed away. "Yuffie, did you even see what just happened?"

Yuffie looked up, but her eyes did not meet Reno's. Rather, she peered past his shoulder at the woman behind him. "Do you know a man called Maggit?" she inquired, her words unwavering.

Merri's lips tightened. "Do I know him? Of course! I grew up with the man. He was a worker here in Gongoga," she explained. "Probably the only survivor of that huge explosion at the reactor! After that, he moved to Midgar and…well, he said he was gonna get a job with Shin-Ra…see if he could fix things up around here through them. No one really knows what happened, since it's been fifty years since anyone's heard from the guy."

Reno turned to Yuffie. "Did you ever tell Reeve about that man?" he asked apprehensively.

"I mentioned that he was crazy," Yuffie replied. "I never said his name in conversation, though."

Reno stiffened and turned to the bewildered old woman. "Thanks, Merri. We'll take it from here."

Merri nodded and crossed her arms. "Patch things up, will yah Reno?" she told him, waving a quick goodbye.

Reno took Yuffie by the hand and whisked her out of the shop, barely even managing to call a farewell to Griffin before they were on the path toward the Angel again. He finally let go of Yuffie's hand and whipped out his cell phone, punching in Reeve's number. It rang for several moments, causing Reno to curse repeatedly. "Pick up the damn phone, Reeve…" he muttered.

There was a clamor on the end of the receiver, and Reno stopped in his tracks. "Reno, what is it?" he heard Reeve say in a frantic tone. Several voices could be heard in the background.

"Reeve! The Materia! It's safe—safe to use, I mean. Go ahead! Put it next to some possessed materia, it'll—"

"It's too late for that, Reno. The Occult Materia is gone."

* * *

**AN:** Oh no!_ Another _cliffhanger! Sorry guys… I just can't break the habit. That doesn't mean you can slack with them reviews, though! What do you think so far, hm? Tell me in review. I'll love you forever! Next chapter: welcome back to the story's mascot, and maybe a little more romancing... We'll just have to wait and see what happens, though. You never know with me. 


	15. Teenage Memoirs

**AN: **I'm feeling inspired lately. Hurray for quick updates! Can you believe it? 15 chapters already… I'm so happy that it's even got this far! I'm lucky to have such dedicated fans and reviewers. Your support is what keeps this fic going strong… Oh jeeze, now you got me all emotional! On with the chapter, already!

* * *

"WHERE IS HE?"

Yuffie winced at the sound of Reno's loud voice ringing from inside Reeve's office. She sat quietly in the chairs outside, hands folded in her lap and eyes directed to the ground. She'd never heard Reno so enraged before…

"How in _all of hell_ did an _old shit_ like him get past _all _of your sensors? Huh?" She heard Reno's hand slam against the desk.

"It wasn't our fault!" Reeve shouted back. "The man was a former Shin-Ra employee. He probably used his old I.D. and slipped by the stations completely unnoticed."

"This is impossible…" Reno muttered, his shadow moving around inside the room. "He managed to get by _all three _of your inspection stations, _and _into the quarantine lab? And the old bastard steals a crate full of materia right from under your _noses?_"

Reeve scoffed at this. "Are you kidding? As soon as he passed through quarantine, he summoned up thousands of Mako Zombies out of nowhere…they poisoned several of my workers and paralyzed others before he made off with the Materia through the air ducts…"

Yuffie tuned out the conversation when the sound of clattering feet reached her ears. A group of doctors and suited workers came bounding around the corner, bursting into Reeve's office without even a glance at her.

"Sir!" one man announced through panting breaths. "The assassin is headed for the Northern Crater! Three witnesses have just confirmed."

* * *

"He's not going to let me leave," Reno sighed, sinking down onto the bed behind him. "It's no use anyway…I'm sure they've already locked up the Angel nice and tight. It's a wonder they even let me stay in my own apartment." He removed his shoes and kicked them roughly into the corner of the room. Yuffie strode over to him and sat down beside the disgruntled redhead, laying her head onto his shoulder.

"We'll think of something," Yuffie muttered. "We can't just quit now. We've come too far to just let other people handle our problems." Her hand slithered up around his torso, pulling herself closer to him. "All we need to do is sit down and think. Just relax for once, okay?"

Reno shrugged off her arm and stood abruptly, crossing the room to where a lone window lay, leaning against it with a heavy sigh. "How can I relax at a time like this?" he gasped, not meeting her eyes but rather gazing out into the star-sprinkled sky. "I'm afraid to fall asleep, Yuffie. I don't want to see her in my dreams." Reno turned to face Yuffie, having to blink once or twice before his mind registered the sight before him. She had taken off her jacket and was now busy unbuttoning her undershirt. "Wha…What are you doing?" Reno stammered as she stood suddenly.

Yuffie made her way around the bed and dropped her shirt completely before she reached the bathroom. "_I'm_ taking a shower," she declared, opening the door. "I don't know about you, but I think better under running water." A smirk played on her lips as she entered the bathroom, leaving the door part way ajar.

Reno stood in silence for a long while, looking completely dumbfounded. He didn't know whether to rejoice or crawl into the sheets and cry. His heart leaped as he heard the water begin to run and more of Yuffie's clothes dropping. She really _was _going to take a shower! In _his _bathroom! With the door _open_!

'_Oh, what are you so shocked about?'_ his mind muttered. _'You've already seen her naked. What's the big deal? Why don't you hop in too, she prolly thinks you smell.'_

Reno shook his head and blinked hard again, trying to resist the urge to jump into the shower, clothes and all, and just press his lips to hers. She really knew how to take his mind off of things. He guessed it was a gift, and a good gift at that. At least he wasn't brooding over the Materia Crisis, or Jenova returning, or worrying about his helicopter. Slowly, Reno made his way over toward the bathroom, shedding one set of clothes at a time. First his jacket, then his pants, then his shirt and finally his boxers, sliding the cloudy door of the shower back just enough for him to slip in behind the bathing woman. He could hear her gasp as he wrapped his arms around her, his hands exploring downward across her hips and the inside of her legs, holding her in the same grasp he'd entrapped her in the first time they danced. He swayed in a similar motion to the beat of that song, his lips grazing along the nape of her neck until he twirled her back around again.

Yuffie complied to his every movement, her hands immediately sliding up into his wet locks as his lips traveled down, trailing across her stomach and pelvis, her eyes parting only to meet with water running into them. She was able to see, however, a black design painted onto Reno's back and shoulders, making her rub her eyes of the water to make sure she wasn't a hallucinating. A tattoo? A very large, artistic-looking one. She could not recall ever seeing this mural. Yuffie supposed she must have missed it in the heat of the moment the previous night. As Reno continued to smother her body in kisses, Yuffie took the time to run her hands over the black ink, painting the picture right side up in her mind. A pair of angel wings… Maybe that's where he got the name of his helicopter.

She was taken off-guard however by a well-placed nip to the inside of her leg, causing Yuffie to gasp and grip Reno's shoulders. She pulled him upward roughly and spun around, pinning him to the cold tiles of the square shower, her hands resting on his cheeks as her nose grazed his own. She let her fingers graze over the high arc of his cheekbones, her eyes never leaving his. The texture of his scars touched her fingertips, feeling harsh and jagged against her nerves. They went so deep…almost as if they touched the very bone beneath the red, seared flesh. She could only imagine the pain he'd felt as his tormenters inflicted the wounds into his young face…

Reno, suddenly feeling awkward in the position he was held, spun the woman around once more and pressed his mouth hard onto hers, making her lose her thoughts in a frenzy of lust and passion…

* * *

Yuffie lie awake in bed, curled against her lover's body with her hand resting on his gently rising and falling chest. She found a strand of his fiery red hair and took it up, twirling it along her fingertips impatiently as she stared out the window into the midnight sky.

She heard a sigh whisper out of Reno's mouth as his hand came to wrap around her own, bringing it up to his lips to kiss her knuckles tenderly. She hadn't known that he was awake too… Letting her gaze travel upward to meet with his own, Yuffie broke the awkward silence with a question; "How come you never told me about your tattoo?"

Reno didn't answer right away, but rather reached his other hand up and stroked her hair softly while he thought. "It's not important," Reno muttered. "Just a teenage memoir."

Yuffie scoffed a bit. "I guess that's what you'd say about those scars too, huh?" she said steadily, avoiding his eyes now. Reno's silence made her speak again. "Reeve told me about them…how that gang ambushed your family and killed everyone but you and your sister. Did you ever plan on telling me, Reno? Or is that just another teenage memoir?"

Reno's body tensed suddenly and he released her hand. "Forget it," he mumbled, sliding Yuffie off of his body. "I don't want to talk about it."

Before Yuffie could even react to the sudden rejection, Reno had risen from his resting position and now began pulling on his clothes again. With a groan of annoyance, Yuffie sat up, slipped into a pair of pants lying beside the bed and jerked Reno's shirt around her body before he even had a chance to grab it. She grasped his outstretched hand and pulled on it, twisting him around expertly before pressing him up against the wall face-first. She pinned his arm behind his back and let her free hand run over his shoulder blades very softly, taking in the skillful artwork on his back. "What ever happened to your sister?" she asked as her hand reached the hem of his pants.

Suddenly, Reno spun around at lightning speed, bringing Yuffie's hands across the front of her body and pulling her roughly up against him. His face was straight and stoic. "Nothing," he muttered. "She became a drug runner after our gang was ousted and now she lives with my Mako-addict aunt. I haven't spoken to her in three years."

Yuffie smirked and lifted her arms, spinning Reno around again before kicking the back of his knees and sending him flying into the reading chair by the window. He turned to retaliate, but she had already bounded over and now straddled his lap to weight him down. "That's too bad," Yuffie said in unsympathetic sarcasm. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing," Reno retorted without even thinking. "She doesn't care about life anymore. Why should I care about hers?"

Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "Maybe because she's your _sister?_ I don't know…"

"That's right! You don't know!" Reno snapped, his lip twitching. "You don't have any siblings; all you have is an uptight, autocrat dad with too much time on his hands!"

"Wutai is not an autocracy, I'll have you know," Yuffie said matter-of-factly.

"That's not the point!" Reno growled. The Mako in his eyes made the irises swirl in the moonlight. "The point is that I've got nothing worth saving. Why should I get involved in this anymore? It's not like we have a chance against an army of Mako Zombies. We might as well hand over that last piece of Materia and just hope Jenova doesn't cut our heads off."

Yuffie wound her hand back and slapped Reno sharply across the cheek. "FUCK!" he hissed, bringing his own hand up to cradle the reddening spot on his face. "What the hell was that for?"

The woman stared darkly into Reno's swirling eyes. "You really are an asshole," he murmured, her brow straightening in spite. "How can you even say that? You're a coward, that's what you _really_ are. If you were a real man you'd step up and fight this battle by yourself! But I guess it's like you said… You can't trust a Turk. Not with a _real_ job. All you've had to do is kill and pillage all your life. Do you even remember what love really is? Or is that just a numb feeling to you now?"

Reno's jaw lay slightly agape as he glared back at Yuffie. "I-I-I… How… How could you…? That's not… I can love just fine!" he stammered.

"Prove it," Yuffie challenged. She smirked at the look of thought in Reno's eyes. Upon seeing him lean up for a kiss, Yuffie pressed her hand to his lips and pushed him back down. "Any guy can give a girl a kiss," she said, her hand fingertips still resting on his mouth. "A _real_ guy will hijack a helicopter, fly out to the Northern Crater, and save the world for a girl. That's _real_ love."

* * *

"I can't believe you talked me into doing this…" Reno whispered as he walked casually through the W.R.O. building, trying to act as natural as possible. "Reeve is going to lose it when he finds out about this."

Yuffie smirked. "We'll be out of here before he even gets word," she replied, striding up to the elevator and nonchalantly pressing the up button while Reno scanned his card. After they had both stepped in, Yuffie immediately held down the "close door" button and pecked at the roof-level key. The elevator doors slid closed and the chamber lifted, rising up the shaft gradually. She watched the little red numbers passing by nervously, praying silently that she would go undetected by anyone in the building. Her eyes lifted to the corner of the elevator, but she jerked her vision back down upon catching sight of the camera there. _'Calm down, Yuffie. Just act natural and nobody will notice.'_

Yuffie's heart leapt as the elevator dinged and the door suddenly slid open. In walked a pair of chatting business workers who barely even spared a glance at them before pressing a button on the console and continuing their conversation.

"Yeah, I heard a whole group of test specimens were stolen. Was it all materia?"

"I think so. Some sort of weird, cultic stuff that was popping up at random places around the world. You think it has anything to do with those Mako spirits possessing mass stocks?"

"Maybe. I'm just glad I don't work in the science department. I heard Reeve has a whole bunch of injured scientists to take care of."

"Yeah. And he just got back from Icicle Inn. I heard a friend of his was really ill. I wonder how the Reeve is holding up…"

The elevator doors opened again, and the workers casually stepped off and continued on their way. Yuffie held down the "close door" button frantically, her eyes dancing the crowd outside.

"Reno…hey! Reno! Hey, hold the door, will you?"

Yuffie spied a suited man that she did not recognize dashing across the room for the elevators.

"Shit…" Reno hissed. He pressed in the same button on his side of the console, trying to act as though he'd never heard the man approaching.

"Reno! Hey, wait man! Hold the door!"

At last, the doors began to slide inward, closing completely just before the man reached the elevator. "Damn programmers," Reno muttered. "You talk to them for five minutes and they think you've been friends since high school…"

Yuffie chuckled a bit to cover her nervousness, tapping her foot impatiently as the numbers finally began climbing again until they had reached the top floor. Disembarking at the 70th floor, Reno hurriedly turned into the hall and fell into step along with the sea of people inside. He navigated the halls expertly, as the W.R.O. building had been modeled after the original Shin-Ra Headquarters. He trotted up to a door at the end of the hallway, pushing it open before Yuffie even had a chance to read the sign on it. "Helipad," she read on the way by, smirking up at Reno as he climbed the zigzagging stairs up to the roof level.

Reno pushed back the heavy steel door that led the way outside, carefully letting it slide closed as quietly as possible once Yuffie had made her way outside. The dark sky was illuminated by a half-moon hanging high among the clouds. Its light spilled along the vast rooftop, catching the glare of fluorescent lines and lettering on the concrete. Several blinking lights decorated the ground around the landing pad and a fence enclosed the entire area, the very top lined with barbed wire and several lights to keep helicopters from flying too low. Parallel to the fence on every single side laid helicopters of various sizes and shapes, all painted with numbers one through ten. Nine was missing. The Angel, Yuffie concluded. She spied a small building on the other side of the rooftop, its clear window revealing two tired-looking men sitting behind their air traffic control desks, radios in hand.

Yuffie's ninja senses kicked in as Reno began to plan out which helicopter would be easiest to jack. She suggested that she could easily kill both men behind the desk with a few well-placed throwing stars, getting a dry laughter from Reno. He continued to inspect each helicopter and finally picked his prey. He motioned to a small, dinky looking one directly diagonal to where they stood. "Let's get going before they decide to go for a coffee break," Reno hissed. "Stay close and don't step in front of any lights."

Reno carefully tiptoed toward the lonely helicopter, using the rest of the lined-up vehicles as cover. Upon reaching the aircraft, he opened the passenger side door and let Yuffie in, handing her his pack before slipping in after her. He closed the door slowly and quietly before turning to face the console, taking a moment to get used to the controls before he began powering up the main consoles. Yuffie was amazed at how skillfully and quickly Reno had the little machine up and running, and how quickly they were able to take to the skies before the air traffic control guards came dashing out frantically. She heard their voices over the headset Reno had on.

"_Shin-Ra 03, what is your status? Repeat, who is driving this aircraft_?"

Reno smirked and straightened the microphone in front of his upturned lips. "Be sure to tell Reeve that you can't clip an Angel's wings."

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**AN: **They are officially fugitives! Haha… What an adventure. Reno and Yuffie really know how to keep things interesting, huh? Welp, before I get all emotional and start blubbering over everyone for reviewing so gosh-darn much, I'd better say my thanks and get the heck outta here! Until next chapter… 


	16. In Vain

**AN: **First Note: Sorry for the long wait. My document manager was flipping out for the longest time... It was just fixed today.

I'm glad ya'll are enjoying the fast updates! I guess it seems like I'm working really hard to bring you good chapters in short amounts of time, but actually…I'm writing very leisurely. I think I just have too much time on my hands or something… Bwahaha. Anyway, thanks for the all those reviews and enjoy the next chapter!

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"Yuffie, hurry it up back there! It's not safe to be standing in a helicopter for this long." Reno peered into the back section, catching a glimpse of Yuffie taking her hair down from the high bun it had been in previously. She sighed as she emerged from the back and collapsed into the passenger seat again, now dressed in her "normal" clothes. 

"Feels good to be out of those threads," she murmured. "I don't know how you guys put up with wearing that stuff every day."

Reno shrugged and loosened up his tie a bit. "When you've been wearing that uniform since you were fifteen, you kinda start to get used to it."

Yuffie smirked and pulled her feet up to rest on the console before her, lacing up her boots deftly before sliding a bandana around her forehead. She then reached behind and pulled her duffle bag over, extracting a parka and her shruiken from inside. Yuffie carefully unwrapped the edges of the finely crafted weapon, tossing each cloth back into her bag before pulling out a rather large sack from the bottom.

Reno could hear the clanking of what sounded like glass from within the bag. Yuffie reached inside and began pulling out orb after orb of various materia, setting each one into a slot on her weapon or armlet. By the time she was finished, the whole interior of the helicopter was glowing from the bright orbs in her possession.

"Shit!" Reno exclaimed. "Where'd you get all that fucking materia?"

Yuffie shrugged. "Four years in Edge can lead you to a lot of cool stuff, despite popular belief…" She held up the sack full of materia and smiled. "Want some?"

Reno began to protest, but he just couldn't resist all of the glimmering materia before him. "Uhh…you have any Mastered Bolt? And maybe an All?"

Yuffie smirked as she rummaged around inside her bag. "You're a greedy one, huh?" she chuckled before pulling out his desired combination. Reno retracted his nightstick with one hand and kicked off the materia on the end with the heel of his boot, never taking his hand from the joystick. He laid the nightstick across his lap, taking the materia from Yuffie's hands and carefully placing them into linked slots on the surface. After folding up his nightstick and placing it away, Reno returned his hand to the joystick and his attention to the skies. Gentle flurries emerged as they continued to travel northward, indicating their closeness to the glacier. The sky was still dark, and probably would be for another few hours.

As she sat in silence beside Reno, Yuffie couldn't help but wonder how exactly they were going to take back all of the Occult Materia from Maggit, and still make it out of the Northern Crater alive. But she remembered what Merri had said and kept her faith in the fact that the Occult Materia they had would protect them from any Mako Zombie that chose to attack. But how? Reno hadn't stayed long enough for Merri to find out just how to use the Materia as offensive weapons. The only thing they knew how to do with it was purify already possessed orbs. All Yuffie could do was hope that she wouldn't have to resort to a guessing game in order to stay alive…

It wasn't long before powerful winds engulfed the little helicopter and the snowfall became blizzard conditions. Reno circled around the base of the Crater several times, maintaining altitude for fear of losing control any higher up.

"W.R.O. has closed up the top of the Crater itself!" Reno called over the wind and whirring chopper blades. "There's no way to enter it from above, but they did leave a small tunnel leading down into the cave about halfway up the mountainside!" Yuffie nodded to show that she understood. "I can't take her any higher, so we'll have to hike up the rest of the way. The opening should be about seven hundred meters directly above us. You ready to go?"

Yuffie gave another nod as Reno began to reduce altitude. He touched down on an outstretched ledge, the blades of the chopper just barely clearing the cliff face. Once again, Yuffie was amazed at Reno's excellent flying skills. He powered down the machine and hurried to collect his things, pulling on his parka and flipping up the furred hood.

Reno popped open the driver's side door and led the way out into the storm. "Stay close," he instructed, "there's still a risk of avalanches around here."

"Great…" Yuffie muttered under her breath as Reno began to lead the way up the mountainside. She quickened her stride and followed him closely, trying her best to see through the oncoming snowflakes to where the entrance of the crater might be. It was a futile attempt, however, so she just dropped her head and reached up, grabbing the tail of Reno's jacket as not to be left behind. As soon as she felt his warm hand wrap around her own, Yuffie's heart settled and a smile touched her lips. She knew Reno would never leave her behind. She stepped up her gait and waded through the snow until she could walk beside Reno, moving in close to him so he could lead her along.

"We're almost there," Yuffie heard him whisper, giving her hand a squeeze of reassurance. She felt the weight of the snow against her feet increase, causing her to swing her shruiken around, digging it into the chunks of ice with every step to boost herself through the onslaught of wind and snow. The path became steeper and Reno slowed in his step, causing Yuffie to open her eyes a crack. "What is it?" she asked.

Reno pointed upward, his snowflake-lined eyelashes blinking furiously to keep out the raging winds. Yuffie's eyes traveled upward, following the steep, rocky path up a jagged cliff where a ledge overhung and the opening of the crater lay outcropped in the rock face. She felt Reno tugging on her shruiken, and she obediently let go, moving in closer to him as his hand wrapped around her shoulder.

"I'm going to need your help pulling up!" Reno explained. "Move your feet in time with mine, we're going to need all the power we can get behind our steps."

Yuffie gave a nod and fell into step beside Reno, finding her footholds as Reno sunk her shruiken into the ice. As he began to pull upward, Yuffie reached out and took hold of one of the four hilts on her shruiken. With each new step, Reno retracted the blade and sunk it into the ice a few feet higher, giving Yuffie a few moments to find her footholds before they pushed upward. Yuffie looked up desperately, her heart leaping upon seeing the ledge only a few feet above. Reno tore the shruiken out of the ice, sinking it into the rock of the ledge. Yuffie let go and wrapped her hands around Reno's waist, allowing him to hoist their bodies onto the ledge. As soon as Yuffie felt solid ground beneath her, she immediately let go of Reno and pushed herself to her feet, carefully taking her shruiken from the rock ledge. They were shielded from the wind on the cliff, but she could still hear the gusts whistling over the cave opening, making Yuffie to shake with fear. Reno stood slowly, his chest heaving from the strenuous work of pulling two bodies up a near vertical cliff.

"Come on," he panted. "The tunnel is all downhill from here." He slipped by her and disappeared into the darkness, motioning for Yuffie to follow. She did so reluctantly, holding up her armlet to light the path before her. Reno waited for her at the bottom of the first bend, having also taken out his nightstick as a source of light. "It gets steep beyond this point," Reno informed her. "This tunnel was actually used as a chute to lower supplies to the workers when they were closing up the crater, so we'll probably drop into the main room right from the ceiling."

Yuffie followed closer as Reno continued on, making sure not to lose him behind the sharp curves and twisting bends. "Watch your step," Reno whispered as his body suddenly dropped. Yuffie carefully lowered herself into the steepening tunnel, noting how much the path began to narrow. It wasn't long before her body was nearly parallel with the path she walked on, having to use her hand as a support and dig her heel into the ground to keep from sliding.

"The main cavern is right below us!" Reno called up to her. "Just keep coming, don't worry about the drop." Suddenly, Reno took his feet from the sides of the tunnel ad let go of his handholds, immediately falling out of sight without a sound. Yuffie gasped and scaled her way down a little farther. "Reno!" she cried, trying to peer into the depths of the tunnel below.

"I'm right here!" Reno replied, his voice echoing in the distance. "Just let go, don't worry!"

Yuffie opened her mouth to protest, but instead just ended up heaving a sigh of preparation. She let go and slid her footholds out, feeling her hair billowing out as she began to fall. She immediately folded into a crouching position, reading herself for an impact with the cave floor. She felt the open air engulf her and opened her eyes, just in time to see the ground coming into view. Landing with a soft "clack" of her boots, Yuffie rose from her crouch and glanced around to find Reno.

The ceiling of the cavern was high, and supported by steel beams built by the W.R.O. to keep their work from collapsing. The path she had landed on was narrow, and spiraled inward along the walls like a staircase leading into the depths of the crater itself. She remembered so clearly descending this very chute, and all the other paths that zigzagged through the crater, all the way to the very center of the earth…

"Yuffie!" she heard Reno hiss. She trailed her eyes along the wall until she saw the redhead motioning for her to come. "This way!"

She trotted down to him, following the Turk as he began the long trek down the spiraling chute. She could see the red light at the bottom, and it grew brighter with every step they took downward. It seemed like an eternity before they reached the source… Reno led the way through glowing archway, shielding his eyes as the cavern opened before them. The cone-shaped chute they had just previously climbed down created the ceiling of this room, flowering out in a circular shape from the entrance in the center of the cavern. Reno gazed around the room in awe, his eyes scanning over the high, arced ceiling and red-tinted rock. He was so busy admiring the beauty of nature, he almost missed the dark, black orbs glinting at spaced intervals along the curving wall.

"There they are!" Yuffie hissed, pointing toward one of the four possessed orbs of Occult Materia splayed before them. "Let's nab them and get out of here."

Reno nodded and started toward the nearest occupied slot, but he stopped upon hearing the sound of heavy, shuffling footsteps to his left. Shooting his glance in that direction, Reno's eyes narrowed at the sight. _Him…_

"Foolish Children!" called the hunched figure across the room from them. "You are so desperate to live, yet you seem to be _begging _for me to take your lives!" Suddenly, Maggit raised his hand and braced his stance, and whispers rolled out of the passageway he had just come from. Slowly, one by one, black spirits slithered into the open room, whispering and hissing as they swirled around the old man's upright hand.

Yuffie shifted up beside Reno and sank into fighting position. Reno's hand grazed his nightstick as he glared the man down.

"But I guess it doesn't really matter now, does it?" Maggit mumbled. "You've brought the last Materia, and that's all that we need… Mother will be restored and my job will have been completed."

"Forget it," Reno grunted. "You're fucking dreaming."

The old man just chuckled. "It has been only a dream until this moment…but you, my Son, have made it a reality. Hand it over and I will give you the honor of letting Mother decide what to do with you."

In one sudden motion, Reno flicked his wrist and retracted his nightstick, as well as pulling the last orb of Materia from his pocket. He tossed it to Yuffie, who faltered a moment and quickly swooped to catch it. Maggit immediately reacted to the motion and unsheathed his dual attack daggers. "Hurry and purify the rest of the Materia!" Reno shouted. "I'll deal with grandpa…"

As Reno turned and dashed in for an attack, Yuffie turned and sped in the other direction, cradling the orb in her hand carefully. She could hear the sound of metal-on-metal echoing through the entire cave, spurring her to work faster. She held the Occult Summon beside the first possessed Materia she came to, concentrating hard as she felt the orb in her hand begin to glow. "C'mon, c'mon…" she muttered as the glow began to engulf the black Materia. Within a few moments, the light died down and the purified Occult Command fell from its slot in the wall.

Sparks flew in every direction as Reno skillfully whipped his nightstick through the air, clanking against the double daggers repeatedly. Every few swings, Reno would cast a bolt spell from the end of the rod, but Maggit always seemed to be able to parry it away. _'Why won't this guy just die!' _Reno thought as he began to swing harder.

Yuffie was on her third possessed orb, now holding up all three, Occult Summon, Command and Support, to purify the Magic faster. Once the new green orb slid from its slot, Yuffie picked it up and hurried toward the last slot in the cavern, reaching out the Summon Materia before she even came to a stop.

Suddenly, Yuffie's cry of pain rang clear along the curved walls of the crater, a sharp twinge spreading from her wrist and all the way up her arm. Her hand went limp and the Materias flew out of her arms, clacking to the ground and rolling several feet as she fell to her knees. Yuffie held up her hand, wincing in pain at the sight. A single, long, slender blade had lodged itself deep within her wrist, the hilt of the dagger pressing against the back of her hand tightly. She choked and began sobbing uncontrollably, cradling the limp wrist against her body. After several moments of rocking back and forth in pain, Yuffie raised her eyes to the group of Materia laying scattered on the cave floor, gasping upon seeing the Mako Zombies descend upon each one slowly.

"NO!" she shouted, grasping her shruiken in her only working hand. She pushed herself to her feet and ran forward, slashing at the Zombies furiously, trying desperately to save the Materia from possession. But it was no use. With every Zombie that disintegrated, another one flew in to replace it.

"Yuffie!" the injured woman spun to look at Reno, catching the tail end of him beating Maggit onto the ground in anger. The old man shriveled and lay limp on the cave floor, his body jerking from electrocution. Reno left the man and hurried toward his injured companion, taking a moment to examine her wound before Yuffie whipped her hand back and began slashing at the surrounding spirits once more. Reno's hands trembled as she watched the woman desperately trying to save the orbs from possession… He admired her perseverance. Her passion was incredible…even though it was in vain.

Reno's teeth clenched as he watched the last orb of Materia being engulfed by blackness, immediately shooting his hand out to pull Yuffie close to him. "We have to get out of here," he gasped as the floor of the cavern began to shake. The Zombies slowly began to gather above the Materia, which was now levitating in a pentagonal shape above Maggit's motionless body. Their whispers turned into shrieks as, one after another, the spirits began to descend upon the old man, clothing his body in darkness while each orb of Materia ignited in black flames. Reno tugged on Yuffie's hand and led her away from the scene, hurrying toward the chute leading to the upper world. A shrill scream made Reno stop in his tracks and wheel to face the scene behind him, his eyes rising upward as a black shadow engulfed them.

"My children…!"

Jenova's tall form rose from Maggit's ashes, her red wings feathering outward as the remaining spirits wrapped themselves around her body, clothing her with their silky blackness.

"Reno!" Yuffie called his name, shielding her eyes as not to let Jenova possess her. As soon as she felt Reno's hand wrap around her own, she began sprinting up the shaft beside him. She could feel her presence start to grow as they dashed helplessly up the chute, trying to outrun the rising demon. Her laughter rang through the crater, and Yuffie's heart wrenched at the sound of Reno crying out in pain from it.

Her eyes lifted to the steel-beamed ceiling above, trying to find the tunnel in which they had dropped in, while still keeping her feet on the spiraling path in front of her. She let go of Reno's hand once they reached as high as the chute would allow, tears of desperation rolling down her cheeks as she cradled her disabled hand. "I don't want to die here!" she cried as Reno wrapped his arms around her. "I still have so much to live for!"

"We're not going to die!" Reno's voice called to her. "Be strong, Yuffie! _Be strong_!"

"Reno, I—"

Yuffie was cut off in mid sentence by a loud explosion that rattled the cave…but something was out of place. It had come from above. She opened her eyes and looked upward, her gaze meeting with gray skies and an army of airships and helicopters. "Shin-Ra!" she gasped, clinging tighter to Reno.

She'd never been so happy to see the army in her life.

* * *

**AN:** Ho'shit. Jenova's back. World's gonna end…? We'll see. You'll just have to put up with my cliffhangage and find out. Mwhaha! Thanks again for all of your reviews, sorry this chapter took a bit longer. My inspiration is sporadic like that. Plus Fanfiction was flipping out and wouldn't let my upload. But please keep on reading and reviewing! 


	17. What's My Age?

**AN: **Summary updated March 28th.

This next chapter is a bit sappy and fluffy, but I needed something to kill some time so I can at least reach 20 chapters. Oh! And Reno and Yuffie play the "Prelude" piece from the game later in the chapter, and it adds to the experience if you have the song playing at the same time. You can probably find it free on Google Video or something. Thanks for all the reviews and enjoy!

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Yuffie felt the soft cradle of silks surrounding her and the gentle breeze rolling over her skin like a whisper. Beautiful, airy scents danced around her nostrils, causing her to open her eyes to the world for what seemed like the first time in days. It took a moment for her vision to steady, finding herself staring at a white ceiling, surrounded by a beautifully mahogany bed frame, from which hung silken shades of several colors. The same silks lay spread across her body, cushioning her every muscle like clouds… 

She in took a deep breath moved her hands upward, suddenly feeling a strange sensation in her right wrist. She lifted her arm into the air and gazed up at it, her eyes widening at the sight. _She could see through her wrist._ A deep, wide slit carved its way through skin, muscle, nerve and bone all the way to the other side of her arm. Yuffie dropped her arm in disbelief and closed her eyes, trying to convince herself she was just hallucinating.

It seemed to be working for a while, taking her mind from it long enough for her to open her ears to a sound coming from somewhere in this strange house she was in. It was a familiar sound…an instrument she'd heard before. Piano…? Yes. A Grand Piano. Her eyes parted again, listening closely as the arrangements of calm notes that flowed through the air into her ears. Somewhere deep inside her, Yuffie gathered up the strength to sit up, sliding out of the bed of rainbow silks and placing her bare feet onto the hardwood floors beneath.

It was then that she noticed her change in clothes…she wore now a white linen nightgown that hugged to her curves perfectly, almost as if it had been tailored for her very body. Yuffie pondered this strange surrounding as she strode out into the hall, cradling her pierced wrist close to her body. She followed the sound of the piano down a narrow hallway and a set of stairs. She turned to the right at the bottom, her feet barely making any noise against the soft wooden floors. The hall suddenly opened up into a grand living space, decorated with beautiful rugs, priceless paintings, and tasteful embellishments. Her eyes followed the white walls around the impressive room, her ears still entranced by the beautiful music that poured through the house like a wave of angelic beauty…

Finally, her eyes fell upon the instrument she had been searching for; a majestic, pure white Grand Piano lay in the corner of the room, its cover propped up so that it concealed its player. Yuffie made her way toward it, still clutching her injured, yet painless wrist against her body. She released it upon reaching arm's length of the piano, letting her palm graze against the polished wood of the side, curving along back end and stroking across the top of it gently. Her eyes shifted around to the front, her face lighting with joy upon seeing the pianist sitting proudly behind the instrument.

She dare not speak his name for fear of interrupting the angelic music, but rather stood against the apparatus, her injured hand still resting on the vibrating top as she gazed at the pianist dancing his fingertips along the ivory keys. She was entranced…she wished the music would never end…

But as soon as it began, the song had ended. His shining blue eyes raised to her own as his hands slid from the keys, the corners of his lips turning heavenward upon seeing her.

"Yuffie…" he spoke, his voice soft and welcoming. "You're awake."

"Reno, where am I?" she asked, clutching her wounded hand again.

The redhead's smile faded. "You're safe," he replied vaguely. "You're with me."

Yuffie's brow knit and she clutched her wrist tighter. "But…how did we get here? Where is Jeno—?"

"Your wrist…" Reno interrupted her hand reached out, taking the woman's hand in his. "How does it feel?"

"It doesn't," Yuffie replied. "I can't feel anything."

Suddenly, Reno's smile returned. "We'll fix that," he said quietly, pulling on her arm gently so that she sunk down onto the seat beside him. "Here…put your hand like this." He laid her hand onto the keys gently, letting his own rest atop it. "Now press down…like this." She felt pressure on three of her five fingers, and obediently pushed down with them, causing a bright sound to echo from somewhere inside the instrument. Yuffie smiled and looked up at Reno. He smiled back and nodded, lifting her hand and placing it on another three keys. She pressed down on the heavy ivory keys with more confidence now. "Good!" Reno exclaimed, moving her hand one more time. "Now again!" She happily pushed the keys again, smiling brighter than a child in a candy store.

He began explaining how the notes on his sheet music worked, and she paid close attention, playing each matching chord that he pointed to. "Great…now remember your cues."

Reno began dancing his fingers up and down the keys of the piano, trailing all the way from the bottom octave, then up near the top, and then bringing them all the way back down, changing the key every time he did so. He did this several times while Yuffie waited for her cue, finally chiming in at just the right moment. The chords she played fit perfectly with the sounds he was creating, making her already wide smile grow even further.

It was then that she noticed a tingling sensation in her playing hand. While still keeping her cues, she glanced down at her wrist and nearly gasped. With every chord she played, the slit in her wrist began to close up. Her heart lifted, she began to play more fervently, making Reno smile down at her and lean his body closer to hers. He turned the page of his music booklet and pointed to the end of the song, which became nearer with every note they played. Placing both hands on the corresponding keys, Yuffie pressed down on the final two chords and held them for several moments, watching as her wound finally healed and the feeling returned to the tips of her fingers.

Reno wrapped his arms around her and took his her hand in his own, lifting it to his lips so that he could kiss her renewed wrist. "See?" he said in a quiet whisper, holding her close against him. "Everything's gonna be…just fine…"

"…just fine…"

Suddenly, the world around her began to fade as Reno's last words resounded in her ears. She closed her eyes for a moment and opened them again, waking to a different world, lying in a different bed, with different clothes.

"Everything's gonna be…just fine…"

She felt a soft hand on her forehead and winced a bit, gazing up at the man that leaned over her. "Reno," she whispered, blinking hazily up at the redhead above her. "What the hell happened?"

Reno's face looked unsettled, and he didn't reply to her question.

She suddenly recalled the events of her dream, slowly lifting her heavy right arm, turning it over and over for several moments. Many strips of gauze clung to her wrist with bloody spots seeping through both sides where Maggit's dagger had pierced it. Yuffie laid her hand back onto the hospital bed beside her. "Tell me, Reno," she begged, holding back her tears. "_What happened_?"

Reno heaved a deep sigh and set his hand on top of her limp, wrapped one. "The dagger pierced your radial artery, and went straight through the carpals," he explained, his hand tightening around her lifeless one. "They had to sedate you and surgically remove the blade from your wrist. They sewed up the artery as best as they could, but the bone will have to repair itself naturally… You lost a lot of blood out of that vein, Yuffie. I thought you'd never wake up."

Yuffie pursed her lips together to keep from bursting into tears. "How long was I out?" she asked as calmly as possible.

"A day and a half," Reno replied, his answer precise. "Reeve left me here and went back to find out what's going on out there…"

Yuffie saw Reno's eyes lifting from her own, causing her to crane her head around and gaze out the window. Her heart was torn in two at the sight… Strands of thin, multicolored clouds could be seen slithering across the horizon, lighting up eerily with every upside down bolt of lightning that streaked upward into the sky in the north. A small tear rolled out of her eye as she stared into the devastating skies. "I did this?" she sobbed, never taking her eyes from the window. "I let this happen? Jenova is back…she has the Materia…it's all my fault…_all my fault!_"

Reno suddenly released Yuffie's hand and rushed to the other side of the room, dropping the shade quickly to separate her from the glaring skies. "No," Reno declared. "No, Yuffie. This is not your fault! You can't blame yourself for this!"

Yuffie gritted her teeth and tried her best to flex her fists. "I let the Materia go…let it be possessed by those demons! There had to have been something that I could have done…but I had to be weak and spineless…always when the world needs me most."

Reno made his way back over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Yuffie…you had a dagger lodged in your wrist. What could you have _possibly _done more? You fought right to the end… That is hardly spineless."

Yuffie ignored his praise and looked away, staring at nothing in particular. "It's funny…kinda ironic…" she muttered, her tears having stopped now. "I can steal materia from anyone…be it a little kid or a sword-wielding man in his prime…but I can't even hold onto the five orbs that could have saved the world. What kind of ninja am I, Reno? I'm a failure."

"Stop it!" Reno shouted, slamming his fist onto the table beside her bed. "I need you to recover, Yuffie, not feel sorry for your fucking self! You're twenty-two! Grow up, will you?" Yuffie flinched and shrunk away as she gazed up at the enraged man, his eyes glowing with fury. "This isn't over. Jenova hasn't won! We've overcome her once before. We're going to do it again! Now wipe your fucking tears and act your age!"

Yuffie's lip trembled at the sight. Reno's body was quivering and his ears were turning red. She wanted to cry harder now, to just let out all her pain and suffering. Why was he yelling at her? Her heart ached. His volatility frightened her. Was he going to hurt her? Maybe he was just yelling because he was scared, too. She could see the anxiety in his eyes… He was shouting because he was afraid of what was happening.

Suddenly, Reno huffed and turned abruptly on his heel, breathing heavily as he began to speak in a normal tone; "I'll be in the café," he muttered. "Reeve is coming by to check up on you later. Get something to eat, will you?" With those words, he spun and stormed out of the room, throwing open the door roughly before stomping down the hall toward the cafeteria. Yuffie waited until she could no longer see his trailing red tail before she let her tears take hold again…

* * *

"Yuffie…are you okay?" Reeve's voice was deep and calm; steady even in this time of crisis. 

She didn't even bother to force a smile. Yuffie turned to face him, her face a wreck and eyes red from previous tears. She'd never felt so emotional in her life! Reno's fit of anger had frightened her, to say the least. Being so decrepit as she watched her lover crumble before her very eyes was a trying position for her. What else was she going to do? Laughing it off was not possible. It just wasn't.

"I'm fine," she muttered at last, turning to face the window again. The shades were still drawn, but she looked anyway, trying to work things out in her mind. How was she going to fix all of this? She thought back to the first time they'd defeated Jenova. Was it five forms or six…? She couldn't remember. The only thing she knew was that this new birth had made her stronger than all of them combined. She could feel it in her soul… Jenova's energy pulsed from the crater to the north. It was massive.

"Yuffie…" Reeve repeated. "I promise you, we'll get the best therapists there are…we'll fix your wrist and get everything back to normal… You just _have _to swear not to get involved in this operation any further. You and Reno have been lucky so far. Who knows what will happen to you next time?"

Yuffie sighed and trailed her eyes back to the executive that stood above her. "I'm sorry, Reeve," she whispered, shaking her head. "I can't do that."

Reeve's brow straightened. "Yuffie, I don't want you to get—"

"This is my fault," Yuffie interrupted. "I have to fix it all…wrist or no wrist. For once in my life, I have to do something right. Can't you understand that? Can't you let me stand on my own two feet?"

Reeve said nothing, his hands at his sides, looking slightly taken aback.

Suddenly, Yuffie lifted her head off the pillow behind her and sat up with a bit of difficulty, lifting her arm to cradle against her chest.

"Yuffie, why are you doing this?" Reeve gasped, moving to help the injured woman.

"Because, Reeve," she began, pushing his hands away. "It's about time I acted my age."

* * *

"What the hell do you want me to do about it?" Reno's voice was harsh and cold, even though he was speaking to his lifetime partner and friend. 

"Talk to her," Rude said in his usual three-word-sentence way. "She deserves to know the truth."

Reno tipped back his cup of coffee. "Rude…_I_ don't even know the truth. What am I supposed to tell her? I'll just take her up in a cute little embrace and whisper that everything's gonna be…just awful."

Rude shook his head. "…You care about her, right?"

Reno's eyes locked onto the dark ones behind his friend's sunglasses. "What kind of question is that?"

"Do you?"

Reno gritted his teeth. "…So what? Just because I care about her doesn't mean that we can't go our separate ways."

"Yes. Yes, it does. If you had a heart, you'd stay."

Reno slammed his coffee mug onto the table, causing some of the lukewarm liquid to slosh out onto the surface. "Goddamnit, Rude!" he hissed. "Why can't you just let me be heartless for once? I miss the old days when we could kill a little kid and laugh about it over a nice turkey dinner!"

"I don't know Reno," Rude replied, his face, still stoic and unwavering. "I think you have something going here."

"She's still a kid, Rude," Reno grumbled. "All she does is whine and cry. I don't know how her father puts up with it."

Rude finally showed some emotion and smirked. "I think you're lying," he said. "You'd miss her if you left."

"Bullshit."

"Is it really?"

Reno said nothing and just stared in the other direction, his fingers tapping furiously against the surface of the table.

"Oh, for God's sake, Reno," for once, Rude's voice actually sounded angry. "The girl's soul is broken. She thinks this is her fault. Can't you show her some support?"

"And how am I supposed to do that?" he spat, trying to get over the fact that Rude was actually showing emotion for once.

"Maybe with this." Rude's voice remained low and secretive as he spoke, turning his body to face Reno head-on. He then reached into his pack lying on the ground by his feet, cradling a strange object in both hands. Reno's eyes went wide when Rude opened his palms, revealing a bright sphere, pure white in color and glowing a dim glow, just like the Occult Materia…

"What…What is this?" Reno stammered as Rude closed his hands again.

"A duplication," Rude replied, even softer now.

"Of what?" Reno's voice was no more than a hushed whisper.

Rude glanced around, barely moving his head. "We lied when we said the Occult Materia was dangerous," Rude began getting a "no shit" from Reno, who shut up after receiving a glare from his partner. "We weren't quarantining the Materia you delivered…we were researching its purification properties. We were going to tell you once you reached Edge with the crate…but the coma…your relationship with Yuffie…it was impossible."

Reno tried to ignore the fact that his old friend had been keeping information from him. "You still haven't explained what _that_ is," he grumbled, pointing to the orb folded in Rude's palms.

"It's a duplication," Rude repeated, "of the Occult Materia. The scientists have named it White Mist, because of its lack of pigment. It shares each of the Occult Materia's purification properties…but they are limited. We didn't have enough time to perfect the process before the set was stolen."

Reno narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say…?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at his friend. "Are you really saying that I should take that? You saying I should go back out there and get my ass kicked again?"

Rude shook his head back and forth slowly. "I'm trying to say that you should take this—" he took Reno's hand and placed the white orb in his palm carefully, "—and go send Jenova back to hell where she belongs." Reno peered discreetly at the Materia in his hand. "With that sphere, there is nothing Jenova—or any Mako-based monster—can do to you…until its abilities are used up, of course. But I think you'll know what to do when that time comes."

"Rude, you're as vague as they come…" Reno complained.

Rude stood abruptly and placed his hand on Reno's shoulder. "Just trust me on this one. You'll figure it out."

* * *

Yuffie stood in the darkness, her face illuminated only by the slotted light that seeped through the blinds on the window she gazed out. She was fully dressed now, her armlet and shruiken loaded with materia as if she were leaving for good. She peered out through the slits in the blinds at the multicolored skies, her heart wrenching with every bolt of lightning that streaked backward through the stringy clouds. _'You'll pay, Jenova…' _she thought to herself, turning to face her hospital room. 

Cloud, Tifa, and Denzel had come to visit her earlier in the day, and now lay snuggled together in the seats provided. Reeve had left on urgency, and Reno had never returned after stomping off in his fit of rage. She had seen Rude and Elena pop into the room on several occasions in place of Reeve, but not a glimpse of red could be seen among them.

Yuffie glided silently over to where her friends lay, gazing down at the happy family with envy. Cloud and Tifa had a special relationship…one she thought would never be in her grasp. She'd come so close to embarking on that journey with Reno, but Yuffie knew it was just not the right time. Maybe…maybe if she ever made it out of this alive, they'd meet again and start over fresh.

Yuffie wished the family, and all of her other friends, well. No matter what they were doing right now, she wasn't going to let them suffer because of her actions. She realized just then that Reno had been right all along. She had been so childish…so puerile while she was with AVALANCHE. Stealing materia, picking on the other members and acting so snooty. How old was she, really? Twenty-two? It seemed more like just two to her now.

Yuffie lifted her right arm, wrapping her only working hand around her injured wrist. She worked her paralyzed hand in and out of a fist, trying to loosen the muscles and fix the bone manually. A searing pain zigzagged up her arm every time she moved the muscle, but she ignored it and continued with her makeshift therapy. When she had loosened it as much as possible, Yuffie dropped her arm and strode toward the table beside her bed, lifting her pack up from the surface of it. She slung it over her shoulder and glided out of the room without a sound, careful not to wake Cloud and his family.

Yuffie ducked around through the clinic looking for a discreet exit, trying to seem as natural as possible. She stepped briskly toward the double-doors at the end of the hall, reaching out her left had to push it open. Her hand met with the bar and she started to press on it, but her actions were cut off suddenly. A hand wrapped around her outstretched one and jerked her around, pressing her back up against the wall. Another hand shot up and cupped her mouth, preventing her from screaming, both in pain and warning.

"Where are you going, Princess?" came the low, cold voice of Reno.

Yuffie whimpered and jerked her right arm, its nerves spasming from all the sudden action. Reno just pressed harder on her left hand and slid his hand from her face, curling it around to cradle the edge of her jaw, his thumb grazing along her lips. "Reno…let go, you're hurting me…"

Reno's eyes glowed eerily like the irises of a cat, searching her own for many moments before he finally reduced the pressure on her arm. "How far do you think you'll get on your own like this?" he muttered through gritted teeth. "You'll die before you even reach the Crater…there's Zombies crawling all over that place like flies on fucking garbage."

"I don't care," she spat, the anger very apparent in her voice. "I've gotta do this. And you can't stop me, asshole…"

"No," Reno interrupted. "No, I can't stop you. But I can leave you with some advice…" he suddenly let his hands drop from her body, although his still remained close to hers. "Grow up. Have some common sense. Look before you leap. Respect your elders. And most of all…" Reno slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out the gleaming white materia from within its depths. "What goes around comes around." He removed his body from hers and turned on his heel, heading out the door, leaving Yuffie to tighten her fists as she stared after him, with no regard to the pain she felt…

* * *

**AN: **Little bits of trouble in paradise for our sweet Reffie. But all good relationships have to be tried once in a while, right? It's just a speed bump…or is it? Find out in the next chapter! Thanks for reading and reviewing, I apologize again for the slowness on the last chapter. I'll be back to updating at lightning speed soon! Now gimmeh some feedback. Mwhaha. 


	18. Chances

**AN: **This chapter took a little longer to write… It's so much harder to write about a feuding couple than it is a romantic one! Not to mention, big, FFVII-styleaction scene comin' up, so brace yourselves! Thanks for the feedback…and keep it coming! Only two chapters left…

* * *

"Reno?" Yuffie voice was timid, weak and feeble. She wasn't even sure if the man had heard her the first time. "Reno," she repeated in a trembling voice, making the tall man stop in his tracks. He wheeled on her, causing Yuffie to flinch and stop as well. He said nothing, but his eyes seemed to scold her and shout at her with the anger shown in his expression. "Reno…you'd never…you wouldn't…I mean, you aren't…" Yuffie trailed off and chewed on her tongue. "Never mind, forget I even said anything…" she dropped her gaze from his and continued on, trying to brush by him and change the subject.

She froze, however, when she felt Reno's hand shoot out and take her gauzed wrist into a firm grasp. She bit her lip while her mind flashed back to the images of Reno's hand slamming on to table, the sound of his angry voice cursing her out, and the feel of his fingers gripping the soft of her neck in his iron grasp. Something was different, however…his hold on her was firm, yes, but he held it gently, as if he were holding a butterfly's wings…firmly as not to let it go, yet tenderly as not harm the subtle creature…

"Finish," Reno ordered, his grip still unwavering

Yuffie refused to comply, however, twisting her arm gently until his fingers relaxed and released her wrist. She cleared her throat and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to edge away from his reach should he choose to react physically to her words. "You'd never…" she continued, not making eye contact, "…hurt me, would you?"

Reno's eyes n arrowed and his body tensed. He didn't answer for several long, murderous moments, trying to catch Yuffie's darting eyes. "What sort of question_ is_ that?" Reno growled, his voice quivering angrily. "What kind of man do you think I am? Who gave you these ideas? Did Reeve put this shit into you head?"

Yuffie shivered at all the question, blinking rapidly as she braced herself for contact. She could see him restraining to move his arms as not to frighten her or induce her to the fact she'd mentioned. "Like I said…" she muttered, shaking her head slowly. "Just forget I ever mentioned it."

Reno's hand came up slowly, causing Yuffie to cringe downward and turn her face away. She relaxed, however, as his warm hand fell upon her shoulder, moving himself up close to her. "Yuffie…talk to me," he said softly, meeting her reluctant eyes as they parted to him once more. "What made you think such a thing?"

Yuffie could barely hold his eyes for more than a few moments. She kept waiting for him to dig his nails into her shoulder or roughly push her away…but none of that happened. If anything, he was calmer than she. "You scared me before, Reno," she muttered at last, gazing over his shoulder at nothing in particular. "The way you shouted…and then how you held me before…so roughly." She suddenly looked down shamefully. "I'm sorry I was so immature earlier…seeing what I'd done just made me hurt…"

Reno's deep, unsettled sigh caused her to lift her eyes again. "How many _times…_?" he muttered. "How many times to I have to tell you? This isn't your fault, Yuffie… Stop it already!"

Yuffie bit her trembling lip and diverted her eyes again. She expected Reno's grip to tighten, but his self-control prevailed. "I'm sorry… I just…" she stammered. "I just don't know who else to blame... I'm not used to this. I never feel sorry for anything that I do…I never used to, until I met you. You've made a lot of things different for me, Reno…" she trailed off and tried to fight back the uncontrollable urge to just reach out and embrace him. "I want to take some responsibility and try to fix this…but I guess I just took it too seriously. Can you give me another chance? I want to try again…"

Reno let his hands slide off of her shoulders, taking a moment to squeeze her hands on the way down. "Chances…" he muttered under his breath, releasing Yuffie's hands before reaching in his pocket to pull out a cigarette. "What a bunch of shit…" He lit it and took a deep, steady drag, seeming to burn up half the stick right then and there. "Come on," he muttered, puffs of smoke flying off into the wind with every word he spoke. "If you wanna fix this, you're going to have to take some chances."

* * *

'_Rude, you bastard,'_ Reno's thoughts whirred around aimlessly in his mind while he deftly piloted the rainbow-colored skies. The skinheaded snake had planned the whole thing! First, he had so expertly acquired the White Mist Materia, then tricked him into making up with Yuffie, and at last left the Angel sitting quietly behind the hospital for him to take. He cursed his friend, yet silently praised him… He had to admit, without Rude, he'd have been at rock bottom long ago.

Yuffie was silent as she watched the wispy clouds of blue, red, and purple roll by the Angel, parting to its mighty blades, revealing to them the meager stars, struggling to peak through the veil of storm clouds surrounding. She struggled to keep from blaming herself out loud again, her heart sinking deeper into the pit of her stomach with every low rumble of thunder that vibrated through the cabin. Reno didn't seem in the least bit phased by the abnormal weather; there were gusted clouds, yet no wind. There was lightning, yet no rain. The sky itself looked as though somebody had carelessly mixed all the colors of the rainbow in one pallet and stroked their brush across the canvass without a care…someone like Jenova.

With every exceeding moment, the thunder became louder and lightning became more threatening. Yuffie was about to complain to Reno about their closeness to the bolts when suddenly, the multicolored clouds opened up, revealing the wide mouth of the Great Northern Crater, its depths threatening to swallow them whole. From deep within the bowls of the earth, lightning crackled outward and five bright beams of color streaked through the sky like the northern lights, coloring the clouds around it with their dancing hues. Green, yellow, purple, blue, red…the colors each of the Occult Materia held. The only one missing was white…the colorless shade of the White Mist Materia Reno held in his possession.

Not only had nearly all of the ice surrounding the crater melted away, but the rocks had begun to weather back as well. Yuffie spied the small outbreak of perspiration on Reno's forehead and felt her palms begin to sweat, concluding that this same heat radiating inside the Angel had also caused for the polar climates to shoot through the roof.

Reno quickly went to work surveying as close to the edge of the crater as possible, looking for an LZ to touch down safely. Being the lucky (and skillful) man that he was, Reno managed to scope out a flat ledge amongst the newly surfaced rocky crags near the crest of the crater, lowering his precious helicopter down onto it with painstaking precision.

As soon as Reno shut off the machine and flipped all the consoles from their standby position, he turned to Yuffie and caught her gaze. "We're going to have to make this convincing," he told her, his voice sounding almost secretive. "Jenova can't possess us as long as we have that Materia, but we want her to think we already are. At least until I can figure out what I'm doing."

Yuffie fidgeted in her seat. "You mean you don't even have a plan yet?" she muttered, lifting her shruiken to check her materia slots.

Reno heaved a sigh and popped open the door. "Just…don't let go of my hand or she might gain control," he said, reaching out to help her from the cabin. Yuffie took it reluctantly and climbed down, her wrist stinging as she hit the ground. Putting on a grimace, she ignored the stinging feeling and moved in closer to Reno, following him as he scaled up over the crest of the crater and down the other side. His grip on her hand was soft and gentle, but deep inside she wished he would hold her hand tight and pull her in close. It was such a different feeling from the complete and utter fear of him that had been stored in the back of her mind only moments ago. I confused her, yet comforted her at the same time. Reno just had that effect on her…

Yuffie hurried up beside him and laced her fingers between his, her eyes trailing in a circle around and around the spiraling chute into the bowls of the crater. From the very center of the cavern, lightning coiled up straight into the sky, coming dangerously closer with every spiral they completed. Yuffie could feel her hair billowing outward from the thick, humid heat swooping upward with the rainbow lights that shined like floodlights into the midnight clouds.

Suddenly, her prior wish was granted and Reno gripped her hand tightly in his own. He pushed her to the outside of the passage, placing his body between her and the approaching lightning bolts. Reno stopped suddenly. He leaned over the edge of the chute, shielding his eyes from the blinding, multicolored light at the bottom. He turned to face Yuffie now, his face a mix of emotions. "I don't think we can go on!" he called above a sudden roll of thunder and the whine of the glowing strings of light. "The intervals aren't long enough to—"

Reno's words were cut off suddenly as a great explosion rattled the cavern and knocked Yuffie off balance. She stumbled back against the wall and shielded her eyes as the multicolored glow suddenly died down and things became eerily quiet. Reno's eyes danced frantically about. He moved to the edge, his hand still locked in hers. "It's stopped," he muttered, disbelief treading on the edge of his words.

Yuffie reluctantly stepped forward, her eyes peering over the crest of Reno's broad shoulder. Only a dim rainbow glow could be seen radiating from the archway at the bottom, urging Reno to continue on. In one last spiral, they had reached the bottom of the crater, causing Yuffie to shiver at the familiarity of reentering the cavern in which, only a few days prior, she had nearly lost her right hand.

"Remember," Reno whispered. "Act apologetic and desperate. This is our only chance…"

They passed through the archway and entered into the main chamber, Yuffie's eyes flicking anxiously around as she gripped even tighter to Reno's hand, even though it pulled at the stitches on her wrist.

"_My Child…_"

The hairs on Reno's neck stood on end at the sound of her hellish voice dancing across the edge of his ears. He turned his body toward its origin and set his eyes upon the flawless figure as the shadows trailed up her body, her deathly pale skin illuminated by the black glow of the Occult Materia hovering above the archway she'd emerged from. Reno found it hard not to despise this perfect creature, his mind wracking through the torture he'd endured from her.

However, Reno maintained his cover and his face softened upon seeing her. "Mother," he gasped, his voice filled with relief and longing at the same time. "I've come home to you."

He white eye suddenly lit up while she spoke. "Yes… Yes, you have, Son. And you've brought…her?" Jenova lifted her arm and stretched out one of her long, white, bony fingers, pointing to Yuffie unhesitatingly.

Reno could feel Yuffie's hand tighten around his own as Jenova spoke.

'_Stay calm, Yuffie,' _Reno thought, using his thumb to stroke over her knuckles. "We're here to join you; to take back our revenge on the planet," Reno's voice was maniacal now, trying to seem as though he'd gone mad like Sephiroth.

A smile appeared on the vile angel's lips. "So you've come to realize," she said, her eyes never leaving his, "just how much this world has done to you? Interesting…" Jenova took a few steps forward and let her red wings stretch themselves out. "I'll take you, my Son. But only if you let her go…" The angel raised her hand again and this time held her palm open for Reno to take.

Reno's hand jerked and his brow suddenly straightened. Yuffie could feel his grip relaxing, and found herself questioning frantically if Reno was still pretending. Yuffie's heart was torn in two as Reno let his hand fall from her own… Was this really the end? Had Reno's plan backfired? Just like that?

Suddenly, Yuffie heard the clanging of metal on metal and watched as Reno pulled out his nightstick, retracted it outward, and raised it upward all in one fluid motion. Yuffie spied the glow of white materia on its surface and smiled to herself. He slumped into a casual, almost mocking stance, sliding his free hand into his pocket as that horrid, teasing smirk appeared at the corners of his lips. "She's not going anywhere," Reno muttered, bringing his nightstick back over his shoulder and snapping it back.

A flash of light, so bright it nearly blinded Yuffie, came from the end of the rod, shooting out in swirling streams at Reno's enemy. However, the flew right past Jenova, who was now reeling from the blinding light, and quickly wrapped their pure hands around each of the Occult Materia sitting in their respective slots on the wall behind her. Each strand of white pulled the Materia from the wall and dragged them back past Jenova to hover near the end of Reno's trembling nightstick, purifying each orb slowly and surely while the dark angel cried out in pain.

Suddenly, the bright light died away and the White Mist, its abilities depleted, fell from its slot in Reno's nightstick, crashing into a thousand tiny glass pieces on the cavern floor. Each of the Occult Materia still hovered in the air, leading Yuffie to take them and one by one and place them into slots on her armlet. As soon as she'd finished situating the last one safely, Jenova opened her eyes again and glared with fiery hatred at the two humans before her.

"TRAITOR!" she shouted, her voice morphed and deformed now as it rang off the umbrella-shaped ceiling of the cavern. "My Materia! My precious Materia!"

Reno stepped in front of Yuffie and held his nightstick up again, causing the end to crackle with little flashes of electricity.

Jenova's face suddenly went from pure shock to half amusement. "What does it matter, I suppose?" she mumbled, her eye glowing again with fury. "All the more reason to kill you both and keep the power for myself. Who needs another Sephiroth…? An immortal such as I can rule the world on my own!"

Reno sunk into battle stance as the floor of the crater began to shake. Jenova stretched her wings and held out her arms, maniacal laughter erupting from somewhere within her vile being. Reno wound back for an attack, but stopped as he heard Yuffie's voice from behind.

"Reno!" she gasped, causing him to turn. She pointed to the slots in her armlet, his eyes going wide at the sight. Each of the Occult Materia was beginning to glow brighter, starting with the Summon and working down her arm.

Yuffie suddenly pulled on Reno's arm and shifted his body out of the way of a deadly ray of Make that had been fired from the palm of Jenova's hand. Reno readied himself again and fired a quick shock from the end of his nightstick, which was easily parried by the demon. She fired another round of Mako rays, making Reno dance across the cavern floor while trying to get a shot in. "What's going on with it!" Reno shouted at Yuffie, who was carefully examining the Materia in her armlet.

"I don't know!" she called back. Yuffie suddenly gasped as ray of Mako soared past her ear, causing her to zip out of sight to help Reno. She launched her shruiken at Jenova, but with a small flick of her wrist, Jenova sent the weapon flying back toward its owner. Hopping out of the way, Yuffie reached out her left hand as it flew by, grasping one of its handles angrily.

She took the time to glance down at her armlet, her eyes widening at the sight. Each of the Materias lay fully charged, now rattling against the hold of her armlet. She glanced up at Reno and watched as a Mako ray struck his nightstick. It sent him twirling through the air and his body landed with a thud, tumbling to where Yuffie stood. She looked down at the Materia again and grimaced, letting her injured hand graze Reno's face before she stood and faced her enemy fearlessly.

Yuffie's mind whirred with ideas as she stood in protection over her lover, parrying away the Mako rays until he was able to stand again. A particularly large blast met with the flat of Yuffie's shruiken, sending her flying backward. With a yelp, Yuffie immediately stretched out her right hand to brace her fall, which immediately buckled under the immense pain that shot through her body as it met with the ground. She crumpled into the ground and rolled onto her back, cradling her arm against her chest as her shruiken slid from her grasp.

Reno stood suddenly, his mind replaying the prior scene as he took up his nightstick again. His limit break immediately hit.

With a battle cry to remember, Reno charged at his enemy and brought his nightstick into the air. His body suddenly disappeared only moments before his collision with Jenova, materializing a moment later above her head. Unprepared for the attack, Reno somersaulted in the air and brought the broad of his nightstick down onto the crick between her neck and shoulders, causing her to cry out in pain as her body was sent sideways onto the ground. Reno landed with almost no sound, watching as his enemy recovered from the attack, beating her wings now. She dragged her body off the ground and hovered several feet in the air, now infuriated by the unexpected attack. Reno prepared himself for anything…

Suddenly, he heard Yuffie struggling to her feet behind, her face a mask of pain and anguish while she tried to limp toward the battle. A few steps in, she held up her bangle arm and cursed out in Wutainese, flicking her arm outward as she cast a summon spell.

This spell was like none other that Reno had ever seen. He retreated backward as he felt dimensions merge, causing the sky to open and light to rain down in the cavern. The clouds above suddenly parted and a blinding light illuminated the wondering faces of the people on the battlefield. From high above in the heavenly sky, a translucent figure slowly descended into the realm, forming the body of a beautiful woman… At first, Reno thought it to be the mighty Shiva, but he would have felt the cold by now…this summon was different. A brightness reached into his soul as a heavenly song was sung and the monster brought her hands up into a praying position.

Reno glanced over to where Yuffie stood in summon stance, his eyes catching the glow on her armlet… The Occult Materia. She was utilizing its _true_ abilities now.

But this was only the summon. Suddenly, the blue Support Materia began to glow. In correspondence, a blue light surrounded the body of the previously summoned monster, clothing her in indestructible armor from head to toe.

Next, the purple Independent gave its aid. Flawless white wings feathered from the monster's back, stretching larger, farther, more graceful than even Jenova's own.

The green glow of Magic accompanied the purple and blue surrounding the angelic creature. Her hands stretched outward, accepting a mystical staff that materialized in the palm of her right hand.

Lastly, yellow Command engulfed the creature's only open hand, forming around her closed fist a golden blade that curved gently and elegantly, the elaborate hilt inscribed with words sent straight from heaven.

Shouting another curse in Wutainese, Yuffie sent this angel for an all-out attack on the quivering demon that fluttered a few feet in the air. Her prayers lighting up the crater, the summoned angel took flight and came down upon her, the very light of her aura making Jenova's skin melt into nothingness. With a twirl of her staff and a slice of her sword, the archangel sent Jenova back to hell—where she belonged.

"_Brûlure dans l'enfer, demon_," Reno muttered in guttural French, "_Ne me tourmentez plus_."

_Burn in hell, demon. Torment me no longer._

_

* * *

_

**AN: **Pheewww… Longness. Sorry for another delay on this one. I was having some trouble in school and it was really dragging my inspiration down. I did the best I could; I just hope it was good enough! Thanks again for all of your support and feedback. Don't stop reviewing! Chapter 19 will bring a close to all of this and 20 will consist of an epilogue of sorts… Just wait and see.


	19. Hey, Girl

**AN: **WOO! My goal is reached! 100 reviews, yesyesyes! I'm uber excited. Thank you all _so _much to everyone that reviewed over the course of these 19 chapters, and to everyone who even read it, for giving me 3000 hits! You kept this story alive and gave me something to write for. I love you all! (sobsob)

Oh, and I did get a question about the French quote in the last chapter. Sure, it's a little AU, as there is no "France" on the planet, but I just wanted to give the end a powerful feel in terms of Reno's perspective. It probably would have sounded better in Latin, but when you're 100 French and spoken it nearly all your life, you tend to lean in that direction. Plus, Reno's last name is French, if you remember from chapter six, so it makes some sense. I have a whole background behind Reno that I wasn't able to reveal through this story so it may be a little vague, but it's not a huge deal…is it?

Anywhoo, on with the chapter!

* * *

"_The Occult Materias have fulfilled their purpose. Their presence on the surface is no longer needed…please, free them from this worldly prison. The Planet will call upon their use should a threat arise again_." 

Yuffie's mind mulled over these words for several moments, her heart pattering at the thought of a summoned creature addressing her openly. The Occult Archangel had instructed that they destroy the Materia used to summon her… If Jenova should choose to strike again, Archangel promised to return so that they might live.

"_You humans have opened my eyes to the passion of love. Even in times of hardship, your commitment prevailed. With my grace, I grant you a long, prosperous, healthy life. Never suffer, faithful creatures. _"

And with those words, she soared back into the heavens, leaving Yuffie and Reno to revel in each other's embrace for what could have been an eternity.

That had been two days ago.

Now they stood within the heart of the white forest, gazing into the waters of the Forgotten Capital hand in hand. "It's time to set them free," Reno had said. He let go of Yuffie's hand and moved behind her as she waded into the glistening water, holding out her left arm. He slid his fingers down her arm and cupped the back of her hand, holding her palm open to reveal the majestic Occult Summon resting in a cradle of silk. Reno tightened his hand around her own, and Yuffie complied with the motion, putting pressure on the glass-like orb in her palm. She heard a crunch and a whisper, feeling the red plasma seep into the silks she held. Turning her hand over, Yuffie let go of the crushed sphere and watched it crash down into the water, rippling red outward over the surface.

The emotionless couple repeated the process, adding to the reddened color in the water blue, violet, green and gold.

Yuffie stood in the cold water for several long moments, gazing down into its grand depths humbly. An image appeared in her mind just then. One she thought about often, one that cursed her soul. A chill ran down her spine as she recalled the bright glow of Holy sinking down into the water below the alter. She could see the blend of pink and brown as a beautiful creature, her voice lost to The Planet, was taken into strong arms and released to the calm, crystal grasp of the water she now stood in. It was a moment she would never forget, as long as she lived. Was that a good or bad thing? Yuffie felt her lips turn heavenward while her gaze became lost in the multicolored ripples on the surface of the water. _'Take good care of the Materia, Aerith,' _Yuffie whispered with the subtle thoughts in her mind. _'You'll know how to keep it safe.'_

_

* * *

_

"What do you mean, gone?" the irritation on Reeve's deep voice was quite apparent. "All five of them? Just…_gone_?"

"That's right," Reno's reply was unwavering. "They're gone."

"What about Jenova? How did she…?"

After Reeve trailed off, there was no sound from inside his office for a long while. Yuffie heard a sigh and the rustle of papers on Reeve's desk. "Reno…please tell me you're ready to take a leave of absence?"

There was another short pause, and Reno spoke up again. "On one condition," he bargained. "I get to keep Shin-Ra 09 for personal use. Whenever I want."

"Reno, that's a government-owned helicopter…" another rustle of paper and Reeve's chair squeaked back. "I'll talk to some people."

"Oh, and…you'll let me changed the paint job too. Yuffie hates it."

"That's going a little far," Reeve challenged.

Reno heaved a sarcastic sigh. "Guess I'm not taking a vacation…" he muttered.

"Ugh," Reeve grunted. "Your leave is going to be nice and long for making me do this…" Yuffie just had to chuckle at the irony he spoke. Reeve shoved some papers into Reno's hands and walked to the door, his hand on the knob. "Now will you take Yuffie back to Wutai already?"

The door was jerked open suddenly and Reno was nudged out the door, tucking a bunch of paperwork into his pocket. He looked up and grinned at the woman sitting casually in the seat across the room, her legs crossed and hands draped over the armrest. She stood slowly upon seeing him and smiled back. "Hey, girl," he said affectionately, crossing the room to lay a nonchalant kiss on her awaiting lips. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

"Reno…where are we going exactly?" Yuffie followed close behind the redhead, her eyes roaming around the streets cautiously. After spending four years in Edge, Yuffie knew her way around pretty well…but she'd never in her life been to this part of town before.

"There's just one more thing…" Reno trailed off, not even sparing a glance back at her as he twisted and turned his way through the slummy alleys and trash-ridden streets.

Yuffie, her face full of skepticism, continued to follow, trusting that Reno knew where he was going. She didn't ask questions, although a million of them were whirring around in her brain. She was just praying…hoping that Reno wasn't going to throw her into unknowingly into yet another nightmare…

"Here we are," Reno said in a light sigh. He had stopped on the doorstep of a particularly run-down house, complete with boarded windows and cracked mortar. He just stood there for a long while, his eyes gazing up and down, side to side across the front side of the two-story house. At last, he lifted his hand and pressed one trembling finger to the round doorbell. An off-key noise echoed through the house.

Then, as cautious footsteps followed, something hit Yuffie. Could this be…?

"Who's there…?" a blood-shot, viridian-colored eye peered out from a crack in the storm door. "Go away, we ain't got nothing here."

Reno's lips pursed as the woman began to slide the door closed again. "Io?" he whispered at last, making her stop.

"Who's asking?"

Reno's heart panged against his chest as he watched the woman shove her face around the storm door, her green-blue eyes glowing heavily against the dark circles beneath them. "It's me," he gasped, pressing a hand to his chest. "Reno…your brother."

"Well, fuck me!" the woman hissed, shaking her head. She opened the door fully, but left the screen door closed as she gazed out at her brother, hand on her bony hip. She was dressed scantily; hardly at all. Her skin was marred with spots and scars, her lips thin and drawn, her eyes heavy with make-up. Yet still, the sharp glow of Mako could be seen behind the lids, giving him a glance into the broken soul behind it all. "What the hell are you doing back here? 'N who's that?"

Reno glanced back at Yuffie, whose feet were rooted to the ground, her eyes locked on the woman who'd just addressed her.

"You come back to ask for a place to stay? Lost that fancy Shin-Ra job, eh? Well tough! We ain't got any room for you here, me 'n Aunt Janelle."

Reno noticed the lack of French enunciation on the his aunt's name. If Io had been born into her _real_ family, Claire and Julian would have made sure to teach her flawless French, just like they had done with Reno.

"So bug off!"

Reno snapped back to reality, his eyes narrowing at his spiteful sister. "Io," he muttered, his eyes never leaving her deep, Mako-infused ones. "I haven't lost my job and I don't need a place to stay…" he sighed just then, catching a glace of Yuffie shifting her weight out of the corner of his eye. "But you do."

Io snorted. "Think I don't know that?" she retorted. "Where in all 'o hell am I gonna go, _brother?_ I ain't got any money 'cept the shit in my safe. And you ain't touching it, I'll make real sure."

"What If I told you…I'd find you a place to stay?"

Another snort. "Full 'o shit," the woman muttered. "Don't come 'round here giving me false hopes, Reno. I got enough to worry about besides you _leaving_ me again."

She started to close the door, but Reno called after her again. "Io, I had no choice! You were still a baby… I was only ten!"

"You still could've done somethin' when they were slice me up from Mom's belly!" Io snapped, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "Get outta here, Reno. We don't want your charity!"

Reno suddenly threw open the screen door and caught Io's wrist in his grasp. "Don't turn your back on me, Io! I'm trying to make things better for you!"

The thin girl tried to struggle away. "Better!" she shouted. "_Better! _All you care about is yourself, Reno!"

Io finally stopped fighting back after a while, letting Reno grip her shoulders and shake her lightly. "I'm _going_ to make this better for you, Io…" he whispered, his eyes locked onto her teared ones. "You'll have an education…you'll get a job, you'll own your own house. You deserve more than this…" Reno motioned with his hand to the ramshackle house she lived in. "Running drugs and shooting up…you're _more_ than that, Io. You deserve the life I never had."

Io gritted her teeth and tried to steady her gaze on her brother's sharp eyes. "What'chyou gonna do about it? Huh, Turk?" she challenged.

Reno took his hands from her shoulder and reached into his pocket, taking out a small slip of paper before sliding it into her hand. "Go to this address," Reno instructed. "Tell the woman at the desk your first and last name. She'll take you up to see the president… He'll tell you what to do from there." Io glanced at the paper, her eyes going wide.

"President _Shin-Ra?_" she hissed, seeming surprised and unbelieving all at once. Reno nodded. "You better not be fuckin' with me, Reno. I'll have your head if you are."

Reno just smiled and took his younger sister into a tight embrace. "I just want things to get better," he whispered. "You're still an angel…you always will be. Remember that."

* * *

"Oh, Yuffie. Why didn't you just tell us you had a thing for him? I think it's great. You're finally growing up!" Tifa tapped Yuffie's shoulder and took a sip of her beer, enjoying a round with her friend after a hard day's work.

Yuffie frowned. "I didn't have a 'thing' for him," she muttered. "It was sort of…a spur of the moment thing. Mutual, you know?"

"That's even better," Cloud chuckled. "Yuffie…in a real relationship…and with _him_! I never thought I'd see the day…"

Yuffie shot him a glare. "Oh, shut up…" she mumbled, staring back at her beer.

Tifa's expression changed suddenly to a look of thought. "Hey…how come we never see him around here?" she said with a lift of the eyebrow. "I mean…you _are_ still seeing him, right?"

"He…had some business to take care of," Yuffie said, her eyes lifting to stare off into nothingness. The pair sitting with her looked at each other worriedly.

Truth be told, Yuffie had no clue where he'd had gone. For all she knew, he could be starting a family with a childhood friend Icicle Inn, or betrothed to a beautiful model from Costa del Sol. Their last night together had been in Wutai, watching the sunset on Da-Chao Mountain, dancing in the firelight in the caves of Leviathan. As morning broke along the young lovers in the cave, Yuffie remembered hearing a gasp, and footsteps clattering on the rock and ground outside. That morning passed like a blur. All Yuffie could remember was the heavy shouts of her father as he chased the Turk from his land. "_I'll come back,_" he'd said, before climbing into the helicopter and flying off into the midmorning sun.

That had been two years ago.

Lifting the bottle to her lips after the long awkward silence, Yuffie downed the last of her beer and placed it back onto the table. "What does it matter?" she asked, her prior brooding expression turning to a bright grin. "I've got my two best friends here, and the best booze around! Besides The Turtle's Paradise, of course…"

Cloud faked a little laugh and continued on his beer as Yuffie retreated to the bar to fix herself another. "Hey…where's Denzel gone to?" he asked to change the subject.

Tifa glanced at her watch. "I dunno. His martial arts class ended fifteen minutes ago…it only takes him five to walk home."

Suddenly, the door flung open and laughter filled the room. Yuffie nearly dropped her bottle as she walked over to the table, freezing where she stood, her eyes locked on the doorway.

"Thanks, man!" Denzel's voice was bright and cheerful, which was odd…he was always tired after martial arts class. "This is so rad…" The tall, brown-haired kid turned to face his family, all sitting around the table, except for Yuffie, who was standing dumbfounded with a beer bottle in hand.

"Hey Tifa! Cloud! Look what Reno gave me!"

Yuffie's heart leapt into the sky and her she dropped the beer bottle in her hand. It clanked to the floor and rolled to the doorway, stopping beneath the toe of a skinny, black shoe. Her eyes trailed up his body, mouth agape as she saw that banter of a smile and shine of red in the evening sunlight. At first she felt shocked, then sad, then touched, then angry…and at last, weak in the knees, wanting to just run over to him and leap into his arms like a desperate young woman, reunited with her lover returning from war.

Unable to look at him any longer, her eyes trailed back to Denzel as he showed off his new gift to Tifa and Cloud: a pair of new, pure leather, knuckle-studded fingerless gloves. "Aren't they _cool?_ It'll be good for my hands too…I'm getting calluses from that sword you gave me, Cloud."

"Grade-A leather," came Reno's voice as he leaned to pick up the beer bottle. "Hope you don't mind, Tifa…Cloud…" he acknowledged each of his former enemies with a respectful nod of his head. "I heard that Denzel was practicing martial arts and I thought he could use some new gloves."

Reno's eyes suddenly roamed over to the small, quivering woman standing beside the table. He said nothing to her, just letting his gaze lock onto hers. With every passing second, Yuffie's heart beat louder and louder against her ribcage like a frightened bird. After what seemed like forever, he pried open the beer bottle on the edge of a table beside him and took a swig, moving in close to her now. "Hey, girl," he said with another smirk, handing her the bottle. With a tremulous hand she took it slowly. Her arm remained outstretched as Reno slid his hand up her sleeve, feeling the skin beneath it. His fingers graced over the gently sloping scar that rolled over the top and bottom of her wrist. "You've healed up nice."

Yuffie retracted her hand quickly and forced a smile up at him.

"Think it was her?" Reno asked, referring to their encounter with the Occult Archangel.

That had been two years ago.

"Maybe," was Yuffie's only reply.

"Io's doin' good," Reno said. "Rufus has got her working for the W.R.O. now."

"That's good," Yuffie commented.

The family sitting at the table watched the volleying conversation as if it were a sport. Cloud was smirking, Tifa was biting her nails, and Denzel has thoroughly engrossed by it all.

Yuffie looked down at the beer in her hands, and then back up to Reno, who was still giving her a subtle smile. "You gonna kiss me or what?" she muttered, her face showing almost no emotion, reflecting on the first time she'd had to give him permission to kiss her.

Suddenly, Reno's smile grew and he dipped down, catching the woman off-guard as he locked her lips tightly against his own, pulling her body close to his. Yuffie wrapped her arms around his neck and passed her free hand through his hair.

Tifa "awed" at the couple, and Cloud couldn't resist a small chuckle. Denzel looked surprised at first, his eyes wide. He hadn't known about _this_!

Reno was first to pull away, pressing his forehead against her own, his bright eyes searching her misty-colored ones. "Thought I wouldn't come back, huh?" Reno whispered, so that the others couldn't here.

"Crossed my mind a few times," Yuffie muttered in return, twirling a lock of his hair around her finger.

"You don't have to worry about that," Reno said, his hands resting on her hips gently. "No one can hold me down like you, Yuffie. You're some kind of girl."

* * *

**AN: **Reunited at last… It's just proof that Reffies _can_ prevail and that Reno doesn't always have to be depicted as a manwhoreish womanizer. (coughwayoverusedcough) Anyway, thank again and again and again for 100 reviews, guys. I'm very proud and content with this story, and all of your positive feedback has really made it what it is. However…we're not done yet. I still have room for an epilogue. Stay tuned and keep reviewing! Grand finale on its way to you soon…

On a last note, I did go back and change a few things in chapter 12 and 15, as I realized just how big of a gap there was between Reno and Io's ages. I changed her occupation, too (drug runner). Nothing too big or plot changing, but I thought yah might like to know anyway.


	20. Welcome to the Family

**AN: **Phew…this is it, guys. It's the last and final chapter of The Occult Materia. I'd like to take this time to acknowledge my readers and reviewers before I start. You've all been awesome to me over the course of these twenty chapters. I can't believe it…my first fanfiction and already I've reached a goal of 100 reviews. I'm truly touched that all of you have enjoyed my writing. But take heed! I'm not going to stop writing here.

On its way are partner stories to The Occult Materia, as well as new stories with new characters and new adventures. Id strongly urge, if you are interested in reading prequels, sequels, and more, add me to your author alerts list! You don't even have to put me in the favorites… Alerts is enough for me.

Now, onto the epilogue. Beware, there are hints of Rufus x OC in this, but its nothing huge as of yet. I'm just leaving the door open for later projects. Isn't that what all intuitive writers do? Who knows… I won't keep you waiting though. Just one more chapter…

* * *

"Bellanger, Io." 

The crowd was filled with cheers at the annunciation of Io's name, Reno's cerulean eyes shining with pride as she stepped on stage to receiver her college diploma. Her beautiful auburn hair spilled over her shoulders in waterfall curls, her skin glowing a soft, healthy peach in the midmorning sun. Her gown fit to beautiful, new curves and her smile lit up the whole city.

Yuffie's eyes followed the renewed woman as she strode off the stage and slid into the awaiting arms of the president himself. She nudged Reno softly. "I didn't know they were seeing each other!" she hissed.

Reno smiled. "I didn't either."

The rest of the ceremony passed quickly, filled with cheers and hoots of joy as sons, daughters, cousins, mothers, father, uncles, aunts, nieces and nephews all graduated from four long years of living away from home. Once everyone was acknowledged and now sat flanking the stage quietly, the headmaster stepped on stage and adjusted the microphone on the pedestal.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending our graduation ceremony and supporting all of our fine students over these past four years," he paused and smiled across the crowd. "We have a final reading planned before our alumni set out from Edge University once and for all…a departure piece written by one of our most driven students, Io Bellanger."

Reno's brow knit at the mention of Io's name again. He watched her rise from her seat and approach the stage, holding a piece of paper close to her body. She squeezed Rufus's hand on the way to the pedestal. Her smile still wide and her eyes sparkling with joy, Io set her paper down and began to read.

"It's been a long four years for us here at Edge University, but oh what a _great_ four years. We've learned so much, made so many memories, and met people that well know for a lifetime. We've made a family here, no matter how dysfunctional and diverse it may be," a ripple of laughter rolled over the crowd. "But despite how close we are, after today, well all go our separate ways. Some will go to Junon and enter the military. Others will travel to Wutai and study under the greatest scholars in the world. Still some, including me, will head to Costa del Sol and enjoy the finer things in life." Reno's smile grew as Io peered back at Rufus, beaming like a child in a candy shop.

"However, I don't think anyone would be going anywhere were it not for...you. All of you," Io motioned to the crowd, her face more serious now. "Life is nothing without the support of those who love you. Support is the ultimate factor in deciding who makes it in life, and who will be left behind. I know without that support, I wouldn't be standing here, speaking to you right now. Who knows if I would be standing at all? I'll be honest. I don't think Id even be sitting.

"Someone once told me things would get better. He told me that Id grow up and get an education; Id own my own house. Id be happy. I didn't believe him. But I think now...maybe I just didn't _want _to believe him."

Reno wracked his brain and remembered these words from the past. He was confused at first, then touched as she continued to read.

"And _that, _my friends..._that _is what could have been the death of me. I had become so accustomed to believing things would never get better that I just didn't _want_ them to. But he _made_ me want a better life. He _made_ me want the best for myself…after he told me I that I _deserved_ it.

"And that thought is what I leave you with today. No matter whom you are…whether you grew up in the Slums, if you were raised by wolves or chocobos, or if you came from the wealthiest house on the block…you _deserve_ the best. And you will_ have_ the best. Because life without the best for yourself is like trying to clip an angels wings.

It just doesn't work."

* * *

The soft mutter of chopper blades could be heard echoing off the high, jagged mountains and low into the smooth valleys, the clear afternoon skies giving way to a small, whitish dot dancing among the low-rolling clouds of mountainous mist. The sunlight danced on its shiny new paintjob, reading "Angel," proud and majestic, honoring the mural that spread from nose to tail. Her wings of pure white, her shining green staff and glistening golden blade, her tough blue armor and that porcelain skin…she was a perfect replica. Small eagle-eye cameras were mounted on the nose and legs of the aircraft, catching the scene in all directions as the helicopters pilot navigated the never-ending peaks. 

"Were getting some awesome shots!" called the pilot to the passenger.

"Yeah. Never seen anything like these before!"

The pilot smiled, tossing her thick, black hair over her shoulders. She grinned at her passenger, her eyes peeking over the large aviators on her petite face. "How bout that one, babe?" she challenged.

Excited cerulean eyes trailed over to the peak shed motioned to. "Anything for you, girl," he replied, causing her to immediately dip the helicopter in that direction, no motion sickness hindering her skilled motions. She circled around the peak and hovered in as close to the snow as the blades would allow. For six years shed sat by and watched him and his piloting skills. Not anymore. Now _she _had all the skills.

Reno suddenly opened the door of the helicopter and peered on out. "You wanna kill me, huh?" he joked, smirking at her.

"Just marking them down, hun." Her voice dripped with sarcasm and playfulness.

Reno moved to the edge of the seat, but stopped suddenly and turned back to Yuffie. "I've got a surprise waiting for you at the bottom, babe. Don't be late, huh?"

"You know me," she shot right back as he turned around again. "Always enjoying the scenery."

Reno's smirk grew as he pushed against the seat and launched himself into the open air, hollering with joy as he felt himself free falling, air resistance pushing against the bottom of his board. He took several moments to adjust his landing stance, landing in the pillow-like snow expertly. His speed immediately picked up as he locked his edges in, skittering along on the surface of the three-foot snow covering. He carved left and right, dragging his knuckles across the open terrain until the cliffs flanked him. He cut close and directed himself into a chute, flying through it like a bullet, catching major air as he shot out of the barrel and into the sky. He spun flawlessly in the air, landing the 720 fakie. With another shout of ecstasy, he rode over the waves of snow for what seemed like hours, occasionally glancing up to see the helicopter hovering overhead.

Yuffie watched the speck of red dancing amongst the sea of white, leaving his perfectly symmetrical indentation in the canvas of the mountain behind him. The trail broke as he caught another hip of air off a cliff and pulled a _huge_ backside rodeo, landing goofy foot. Yuffie caught herself shouting with excitement as Reno surfed along casually, making some of the best footage they'd ever created together.

Tree line soon came into view and Reno began carving like a madman through the glades. He skidded up and along a steep ridge where a trickily waterfall hung, tail buttering down the other side. He cut a sharp right all the way into the forest again and nosepressed a long, bent tree, shifting backside boardslide half way down its trunk. His edges scraped the evergreens pines from its branches.

After another half hour of pure backcountry freestyle filled with brand new lines and huge gaps, the land finally began to level and straighten out into snow plains for miles. Cutting to a stop on his heel edge, Reno unstrapped and flagged Yuffie down, holding his brightly colored board in the air to get her attention. He stood stiffly as she touched the machine down, its blades whipping up snow in every direction until they finally slowed to a stop and Yuffie emerged from inside. She was beaming from ear to ear, as she bounded over toward him. He dropped his board and lifted her into his arms, spinning her petite body around once before she wrapped her legs around his waist and held herself up on him. "That was the best line you've had all year" she exclaimed. "The footage is amazing. I can't wait to start editing!"

Reno placed her back onto the ground and smirked devilishly. "Put the editing on hold, babe. You forgot about the surprise."

Yuffie's eyes lit up as she watched Reno reach into his pack, pulling out several sheets of paper. He flattened them out and handed them to her. It only took her a few moments of scanning to realize what exactly they were. With a gasp, Yuffie felt her head growing light and her knees giving out.

* * *

"I wonder if he'll like me," Yuffie wondered aloud, gripping tightly to Reno's hand as they walked briskly through the streets of Edge. 

"He'll _love_ you," Reno replied, pulling her closer to him. He gazed down at her, amused by all the wonder in her sparkling eyes and excitement in her trembling voice. "You're a dude magnet!"

Yuffie's laughter made his grip on her hand tighten. He knew that taking this step was a sacrifice on his part, but throughout their eight-year relationship, Reno had always known how much Yuffie wished to take the chance…even if she didn't say it with words.

"Oh, gawsh Reno…we're here!" Yuffie squealed with excitement, clinging to him as they approached the familiar building of the 7th Heaven Bar. "I don't know if I can…"

"Oh, stop it," Reno groaned, tugging on her hand. "It's not like you're meeting a king or something. Hell! You're related to a king. This should be nothing."

Yuffie took a deep breath and followed Reno's lead, walking across the street with wobbly legs. She hesitated, but Reno wasted no time pushing the door of the bar open boldly, pulling Yuffie in before it slid closed once more.

"Ah, there you are…" Yuffie's eyes trailed over the room for many moments, seeing only one body in the room; Cloud stood from his seat and approached them. "Sorry about the delay…Tifa is with him. He's a bit shy, at first."

Suddenly, the stomping of feet on the floorboards made Yuffie's eyes snap to the stairway, her knees shaking as a voice joined those steps.

"Come on now, they don't bite," came Tifa's comforting voice. "They're the nicest people I know."

Yuffie's mouth fell to the ground as she saw two sets of feet shifting around the bend, giving way to a pure, innocent child, standing bashfully behind Tifa, clinging to her leg. He couldn't have been more than seven years old.

"Yuffie, Reno, this is Ryan," Cloud announced as Tifa limped over to the open part of the bar.

Yuffie released Reno's hand and shuffled forward a few steps, her eyes locked onto the child's smoky blue ones. "Hey, Ryan…" she whispered, pressing a hand to her heart. "I'm Yuffie…this is Reno," she motioned back to the calm redhead behind her. "We're going to be your new mom and dad. Will you come out and say hi to us?"

The child gripped tighter to Tifa's leg and hid his face in her pants. "Come on, Ryan. This is your new family. They're going to take care of you now."

Suddenly, Reno stepped forward and squatted down in front of the boy. "Hey, Ry. Can I call you Ry?" the child gave no response, but Reno smiled anyway. "Do you like helicopters Ryan?" One blue eye peeked out from behind Tifa's pants. "Yeah? Well I'll tell you what. If you come with us, I'll take you for a ride in a _real_ helicopter. How does that sound?"

Making a small whimper, Ryan slowly let go of Tifa's pants and moved forward just a step. "That's it," Reno encouraged. "Come 'ere." He held out his hand, and, to Yuffie's utter shock, Ryan took it without hesitation. Who knew a guy like Reno was good with kids? Ryan upped his gait and came to shift up beside Reno, gazing up at Yuffie, his lips turning into a small smile now. She reached out and touched his jet-black hair, causing his smile to grow as he giggled.

"Welcome to the family, Ryan…" she whispered, taking his other hand in hers. With a soft smile and respectful nod to Cloud and Tifa, the new parents turned and headed for the door, walking out into the world, holding their child closely to them…

…a real family at last.

_Finis_

* * *

**AN: **Leaving yet _another_ door open for myself. I think it's about time they settled down now. They're what…32 and 28 about now? Wow, six years passed in a whole two chapters… Chyah, oh well. Oh, and sorry for all the steeze (snowboarding) talk in the second break. It's finally stopped snowing here and I miss boarding with a passion. (sobsob) Anywho... The Occult Materia has finally come to an end. No more drabble chapters after this, I promise, but make sure to keep your eyes peeled. I've already have extension stories in the works. 

Also, I've created a forum in which you may choose to leave comments on the series itself, or stay and discuss with other readers about what I've already written and what I'm planning to write in the future. Updates will be posted there by me as well, so be sure to be on the lookout!

You can find the forum through my profile. Just click on the **my forums** link or **my homepage **link.

Thanks again and again and again for all your support throughout this entire project! Please visit and leave me a comment! Until next time…

-Megalomaniac

_Meg_


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